Promises
by hsm753
Summary: She was a not-to-ordinary girl who was given her chance to shine. She began to forget her other family and live for her new one. But soon, she has to make a dicision that would ruin both families no matter what she would choose. Shawn/Triple H/OC
1. Chapter 1

***No Copyright Intended. I do not own WWE or its characters.**

**This is my first Wrestling story.**

Chapter 1

It was a night without fear. A night without revenge. A night without anything to do with work. A night where both Shawn Michaels and Triple H could laugh and tell jokes. Triple H the most. Shawn tagged along for the time being. They were laughing so hard that they didn't notice the purple and red streaks of the fading sun were turning into black shades of night. Shawn saw the skyline and knew it was yet another day passed by. Another week that had come and gone in a flash. They were traveling to so many locations they had to be tired, but they weren't. They were sore, yes, but not tired. Shawn sighed from all the week's work that passed and for the work ahead, ready for anything. He looked over at Triple H, still chuckling a little, but stopped after a few seconds of sighing. Shawn knew he had to be alone since Stephanie was working at the office and couldn't see her husband for at most three-hundred, fifty-one days while Shawn couldn't see his wife and children for three-hundred, sixty-five days. A whole year without love ones.

Triple H noticed Shawn had stopped laughing, waiting for him to start talking, but it seemed forever had passed, and he decided to break the cold silence.

"You okay, Shawn?" He asked.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I'm out of it tonight. I just want to know what were doing next."

"Well, were headed for Mississippi next Monday, so we should be there by tomorrow night."

"Oh. Okay."

Triple H kept his eyes on the dark, empty road and switched on the headlights. The road was much brighter that way. He began to try to think of another joke to play on one of their non-favorite superstars, but all Triple H could think about was Shawn's sad attitude lately. He hadn't acted this way last Monday night. But why now? He knew the answer couldn't be answered with silence. He had to know. It was almost as if he could joke about it, but not now. Not to Shawn at least, in front of him or not.

Triple H peered at his friend while still looking at the road. "Shawn?"

Shawn looked away from the car window, but his eyes still remained in place, not leaving the now black and clouded sky. He didn't make a sound or word, but he knew that Triple H could read his body language perfectly.

"I'm a little worried. Are you okay?" Triple H asked, his eyes still on the dark road. The lines in the center made no effort to help the cold feeling.

"I'm fine...well...not really..." Shawn said, his voice trialing from his glares at the window.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Triple H was now concerned. Shawn's voice was so...different.

"I want to see my family sometimes. My wife...my kides...my..."

"Your parents?"

"My..."

Shawn was peering out the window a little closer than usual. His nose was almost touching the glass completely, as if he wanted to suffocate himself, and he looked to be peering into the distance. Triple H was about to say something when Shawn spoke up.

"Look out there!"

Triple H looked. Nothing. He would have seen something if it was close, but he couldn't see anything but the road and the darkness in the shadows of it, ready to be shown onto light.

"Dont you see that?!" Shawn yelled, pulling himself away from the glass.

"See what?!" Triple H yelled, confusion also shown within his voice.

"Those people! They're...they're...I can't tell...they're...slow down a little."

"Wha-Why?!"

Triple H was fed up. He hadn't gotten any sleep and all he wanted was to get to a hotel and get some sleep, how little it would be, in order to get to the next town. He also wanted to concentrate on the road and why Shawn was so sad, but it seemed impossible at this point to even say anything or do anything without Shawn getting distracted.

"Slow down, Hunter! I think there's something out there!"

"Oh, there's something out there all right-Trees!"

Triple H chuckled to himself, not realizing the look he was getting from Shawn. He couldn't help they were driving in the middle of nowhere with trees all around the car on both sides, and a map in the dashboard of the car to guide the way. Triple H looked at Shawn, who peered back over to the glass again.

"Slow down! I think I see people!"

"I hope they're not fans. I can't take anymore pictures and autographs."

"No...It looks like some sort of...gang!"

"There's no gangs out here, Shawn! That's impossible! Were in the middle of nowhere!"

Shawn watched as the trees passed him, his eyes darting into the distance of the dark road to see what he thought he was seeing. When they turned a corner after going down the long straight road, Shawn saw, from the headlights of the car and its bright light, exactly what he predicted: People in the distance.

"Oh, man..." Triple H groaned, finally seeing the people Shawn predicted. "Those better not be fans. Let alone hitchhikers. There's not enough room in this car."

They weren't ordinary people, from what Shawn could tell. They looked rough-looking, tattered, clothes dark and hanging low like they didn't know what belts were. Chains wrapped or dangling from they're pockets. Their hair, how many there were of them, at least five or six, had spikes or straight uncombed hair.

"Oh, my God..." Shawn groaned.

"I know, buddy. Thugs. You got that pistol?"

"In the compartment right here," Shawn said, motioning his hand to the closed container in front of him. He looked at his friend. "Why?"

"If they come for us, we'll need all the help we can get." Triple H gulped and slowed down a little.

"Let's see what they're up to." Shawn whispered.

Triple H tried not to act afraid, but his hands were shaking on the steering wheel. He didn't want Shawn to know his weakness. When it came to real-life situations outside the ring, he'd get nervous and then scared. Why did he and Shawn take this route to begin with? They could have easily followed Randy Orton and Big Show. No. They had to take their own way.

Shawn looked, trying to hide his scared feelings from his friend, who looked just as nervous as he did. It wasn't their place to see what strangers, especially what these thugs, were up to, but they couldn't take seeing troublemakers nowadays, trying to show off to the world that they're something but they're really nothing. Shawn and Hunter grew up with respect, and that's what they have. Not the punks that are a few inches in front of them, kicking and punching at something that looked to be a garbage can.

"They're probably not armed." Triple H whispered, trying to stay cool.

Shawn could see one of the thugs had an earring that came to his neck, and soon saw what this thug, this loser, was kicking: something that looked to be moving.

"Hunter...I think that's a human!"

"Of course it is a human...stop yelling and act cool." Triple H whispered, speeding up the car some.

"You're scared. It's okay. I'm scared, too, buddy."

The car was about to pull onto another road that was almost blocked by the thugs if they wouldn't stop getting in the way, but, in what seemed like a split-second, the car collided with one of the thugs and sent him flying across the road, even when the car was only going fifty miles an hour. The car, as Triple H could tell, was dented in the front as it screeched to a halt.

Shawn gripped his hands on the car's door panels while Triple H just kept his hands on the steering wheel, both of them not making out what just happened, but, then again, they knew the thug a few feet away from the car was injured. Bad. Gut instincts could tell that.

"Big mistake, you idiots!" Someone yelled in the distance.

"Oh, yeah! We'll see about that!" Triple H yelled, then unbuckled his seatbelt, knowing the thugs were coming for them. No turning back.

"Hunter! No!" Shawn yelled as he undid his, ready to meet his maker if he was to parish by troublemakers on this night.

Triple H got out of the car and slammed the door. He walked onto the road, the darkness surrounding him, but the car's lights were still on, creating light. He could see two of the six thugs walking towards him fast, then, without thinking, threw a punch towards the first thug, watching him fly into the dust in a flash, the punch was that hard, then blocked the second thug's punch and punched him in the gut, the thug yelling in agony at the real punches that seemed to be real on television.

Shawn got out of the car in a flash, not even thinking himself, and saw another thug hiding in the corner of the trees getting ready to finish Triple H with a knife in hand. Shawn saw the thug run, and he ran, with all of his workout training and football lessons from back in the day coming back to him, and, within a clear second, he tackled the thug. The thug was on his back, and Shawn was on top of him, hitting him clear across the face, hoping to knock some sense into this wannabe. He kept hitting and pounding on the guy he forgot about the knife, but more so, Hunter. Hunter was groaning in the distance, and it was from the sixth thug coming in and attacking him behind the knee with a steel bar.

Shawn immediately got up and tried to make it to his best friend, trying so hard to run fast again, but was knocked down by the thug he was pounding, grunting, the air let out of him so hard when he hit the ground, and the thug crawled on top of Shawn and had the knife in position to stab his prey.

"You gonna die, old man!" The thug snapped, his voice breaking and heavy.

Triple H was weak from the steel bar hitting his legs he thought he had gotten shot, but wasn't, and grabbed the bar from the thug, who had circled around towards his face and was about to hit him. Triple H knocked back into the steel bar, causing the thug's breath to let out of him and fell to the ground holding his gut. Triple H saw the other two thugs laid out unconscious at his hands and quickly heard grunts a few feet from him. He looked up...and he was enraged to see that thug hold a knife above Shawn as Shawn protested with his own hands on the knife, trying not to let it come down. He thought he heard groans and grunts from another source, but it was more likely the thugs than anything.

But he didn't remember hearing groans like that when he hit the thugs. They were loud, heavy. Not soft and low.

Clearing his head, Triple H immediately rushed over, forgetting about his sore legs, and his sore gut from all the force of the thugs' bodies, and, remembering the steel bar in his hand, he grasped it tight and, with a sound that filled the air like a bullet, he hit the thug's head with the bar, knocking him onto the ground, blood gushing out immediately. Shawn gave a sigh of relief and was panting from all that had just happened. Triple H used the steel bar as a crutch to pick Shawn up, supporting his own weight.

Shawn managed to catch his breath, and, slowly, he lowered his head onto Triple H's shoulder, just like he would after a match on television, only this time they didn't have to pose for the camera. All they had to do was collect themselves. Shawn moved strings of his hair away from his eyes, realizing his hairband had let some of his hair fall. He didn't care about his appearance now. Neither did Hunter.

"Let's get out of here." Triple H said, panting, taking in all that had just happened. He knew for sure there would be no sleep tonight.

"I'm sorry. I got us into this." Shawn said, his head now off of Triple H's shoulder and in the air, looking around at the six thugs, two in the corner, one to the side of them, and one on the road in front of them, not moving while the other thugs were still visibly breathing.

Shawn saw another thug on the side of the forest around them, and, staggering, he walked over to it. He didn't remember this one. He could have sworn there was six. This had to have been the sixth.

Triple H was now confused at his friend. "Shawn, lets just go. Forget about this. We'll call the police and get this over with."

Shawn wanted to ignore his friend, especially when he heard the soft groans and moans that came from this sixth thug. It was nothing like he had never heard, but yet he had heard grunts like this somewhere. He remembered these grunts, like they were his wife's.

"Shawn! Shawn!"

"Hunter, come here!"

Triple H winced as he walked over to his best friend, looking back to see if the troublemakers hadn't escaped. They were all too weak, anyway. He saw what Shawn was looking at, and got a closer look.

"Its...a...human," Triple H said, shocked, then satisfied. "Another thug just getting beat in is all. Let's just go."

Triple H walked over to the car and immediately, out of anger, kicked the thug's knife out of the way and into the forest where it would possibly be hidden until cops found it. He felt guilty a few seconds, but couldn't let it bother him. He shut the passenger door that Shawn flew open and quickly raced over to the driver's side, the door flown open as well, the headlights still shining to provide light. He heard the blinking noises of the "no-seatbelt-on" warning and he quickly realized the car was still on, the keys still in the ignition. If he and Shawn were to be beaten to a bloody pulp, the car could have been stolen.

He sighed in relief. "Thank God for gyms. Come on, Shawn, let's go."

Shawn was still standing in his same stance, looking, shocked that the figure below him was moaning and groaning at every second of what seemed like forever. He decided to get a better look and, letting his body fall into a crouching position, he turned over the figure. He gasped.

"Shawn, let's go! Let's just call the cops and let's get out of here! What's Vince going to think when we are late for the next show?!"

"Hunter! Get over here and see this!"

Triple H was now confused. He didn't want to walk any further, his legs were hurting him so bad, but decided to do so anyway. He knew Shawn was feeling bad, but horrible at what he was seeing.

"Shawn, for the last time it's just another thu-"

Triple H stopped talking when he saw the broken, battered, bloody figure that was a teenage girl.

"Oh, my God..." Triple H said, his mouth wide open in shock.

Shawn, still crouched on the ground, looked up at his best friend. "I think she's not one of them."

Triple H was too shocked to reconsider Shawn's words. "I guess you're right. Man, she's pretty beat up."

The scarring on the girl was horrific. Something out of a horror movie. The scars were deep looking, on her face and arms and hands, and, for some reason, her back. Her clothes were now nothing but rags, torn and dirt-covered from all of the rolling and fighting that she must have been doing to protect herself. Or at least what the two friends thought. Shawn turned her over some more, and saw her face. His blue eyes widened when he saw the blood pulsing out of her nose and some blood running down her mouth. She had blood on the sides of her face as well, including all the dirt that was entwined on her forehead and cheeks. She had a ring on her finger, but some blood had gotten onto it that it was hard to tell what the ring was for. Wedding? Date? Ordinary ring? It was just too hard to tell. Her shoes were still on her feet, as her clothes were still on her body. Her hair was a mess, yet the curls in her hair already seemed to be a mess as it was.

Shawn couldn't take it anymore. This girl was moaning, groaning, and shaking as soon as he saw her face. She seemed lifeless, but yet she was breathing. Her stomach was moving, but she didn't seem to move an inch. She was shaking, but it stopped after a few brief seconds. Triple H looked at Shawn as Shawn stood up straight and looked back at him, tears in his eyes.

"She needs help, Hunter..." Shawn said, tears streaming down his face.

Triple H couldn't help but start to feel tears himself. "What lifeless people would do this?"

Before anyone could answer, the girl groaned aloud, and, to Shawn and Triple H's surprise, she opened her eyes lightly, just barely getting them open fully. She moaned and looked at the two in front of her, but, then, she closed them with a groan.

Shawn had seen enough. He walked over to the almost lifeless girl and, gently, with his aching muscles and tired body, picked up the girl, her body weight lighter than expected. Triple H helped Shawn by taking her from him when he reached the peak of the road, which was a slope at an angle, and gently held her, feeling her presence as Shawn opened the back door of the car and Triple H gently placed her in the backseat, her feet facing them while her head was facing the window. Shawn shut the door with a short thud, being careful not to hit her, she had had too much of that, and quickly walked over to the passenger's side, but didn't get in. He opened the container and fumbled around, feeling loose papers and the pistol that they forgot to get minutes ago, until he saw a small first-aid kit in the corner.

Triple H made no plea, only getting into the driver's seat, his legs sore and aching, already seeing the gas tank on half-full, and quickly shot a confused glance at Shawn when he shut the passenger side door and opened the door where the girl's head was at. Shawn gently let the girl sit upright and he twisted her body easily to where she was sitting in the middle of the backseat like she was alive and well. Her head almost managed to slump downward, but Shawn caught her head and tilted it back towards the back of the seat, her neck almost completely visible. Shawn climbed into the backseat and shut the door, followed by the driver's door.

Triple H put his foot on the gas and eased out of the spot they were in for at least fifteen minutes. He saw the thug in the road, and knew they'd have to call the police. They should have at least called the police about the girl. But, no, it seemed they were too wound up in their sorrows they forgot all about the police. As much as Triple H wanted to run over the thug wannabe, he decided it was best that he was in full contact for his funeral. After all, the guy wasn't moving. He dodged the thug, and continued down the road that told them they were to find a hotel on the way soon.

There were no more trees, just open spaces and lights in the shadows before them. City lights. In the far distance. They could call the police there. Triple H kept looking in the mirror above him to see how the girl was doing. She was the same: almost lifeless, grunting, moaning. She was torn and beaten. Triple H felt angry, but didn't need to show it. Shawn was still crying a little back there with her. His tears were streaking his face faster than the road passing them.

Shawn put a bandage on the girl's bloodied cheek and knew he'd have to find someone at the hotel to take her to the doctor. There was no way she could survive like this. Not without the right care.

Shawn saw her eyes suddenly partly open, and he gasped when he saw those blue eyes of hers look into the blue eyes that was his. He gently brushed the side of her face, getting some dirt off of her, seeing she was white. It was hard to tell with all the dirt on her. She started to part her lips, but Shawn stopped her.

"Please, angel, save your strength. Please. You need to rest. Save your strength." He begged.

Shawn put medicine he found in the first aid kit on his finger and quickly rubbed it on one of the girl's wounds on her face. It was pretty bad. She winced. A hint of life.

Triple H saw this. "How's she doing, Shawn?"

"I think she can hear me," Shawn said, then touched the girl's forearm gently. "Sweetheart, can you hear me?"

The girl partly opened her eyes again. She suddenly let out a loud moan.

"That's a yes for me." Shawn said, moving his hand to her hand, rubbing her wrist lightly. She was covered in dirt, but Shawn didn't care. He wanted to see a child, a teenager like her, still alive. He didn't like death, no matter how much there was in the world. It happens everyday.

"Sweetheart...you just rest, okay? You don't worry. We'll take care of you. Okay, pretty angel?"

Triple H smiled. "That's right. We'll help you."

With that, the girl started to smile, but it quickly faded as she was surrounded in darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The girl, laying there on the couch of the hotel room, seemingly lifeless yet she was still breathing, but battered and beaten. She didn't move, but her stomach muscles were moving. A hint of life.

That's all Shawn needed to see as he wiped the girl's face off with a wet washcloth. He eased the cloth down her face so he wouldn't get her scares and bruises to hurt. He also tried not to touch the bandage that was on her face that was starting to peel. Shawn felt tears when he finally managed the get all the dirt and blood off her forehead and cheeks, seeing the girl's face. She was pretty, yet she was a teenager with some blemishes here and there. Shawn didn't mind them. He didn't care much about looks of others. He just wanted to help.

Triple H was on the other side of the room, partially standing between the living room and the bedroom door, looking at the two people, his best friend and the girl, inches from him. He looked at the watch on his wrist that he pulled from his bag. 1:32 A.M.

How they got into the hotel was no surprise to them:

Triple H pulled into the driveway of the first hotel in sight. He quickly shot a glance at the mirror, looking directly into the eyes of Shawn, those blue eyes had seemingly become full of guilt and sorrow. He looked at the girl while still focusing on the other cars parked in the spaces on each side. The girl remained in the same position, barely hanging on to life as it were. He felt a spark of anger. He wanted answers. Just to turn the car around and beg that those thugs give him the answers he deserves.

Shawn could see the anger in his best friend's eyes, and he quickly looked at the girl, moaning as she was when they first saw her. He kept rubbing her wrist, which seemed to have gained a little strength then what had been a dangling wrist before. He smiled, knowing the girl was going to be okay. He knew it, but something wanted him to think otherwise. He wiped a tear from his eye and quickly set his sights back on Hunter.

"We need to get her help, Hunter." Shawn said, his voice raspy from not talking for an hour.

Triple H pulled into an empty parking spot and quickly let the car die down, getting the keys out of the slot. His eyes were starting to shut a little, but managed to keep his tired body awake.

"Sure...let's...um...get her inside." He said, rubbing his eyes, looking back at Shawn.

Shawn sat up straighter than what had been. His tears no longer flowed. "They'll think something bad might have happened to her and blame it on us. Wouldn't they?"

"We'll tell them what happened and call the police. Come on, Shawn, I don't want to sit here any longer."

"And I don't want to leave her alone with strangers, Hunter."

"I thought you wanted help for her."

"I do...but what would those people think if we are seen dragging a beaten girl into a hotel and it's only us with here. They'll think the wrong things, Hunter. We can't bring that on us."

Triple H thought a second, his mind trying to outrun the feelings of sleep and rest. "Let's just go to a police station. They'll take care of her."

Triple H almost got the car fired up again when he felt Shawn's hand on his shoulder, rough, yet tired.

"We're in the middle of nowhere," Shawn said, then pointed to the map on the dashboard. "And that map only shows streets and signs. No buildings. We'd be lost if we tried to go any further. Now, we have to help her. And even if we did drive off and we did happen to find a police station...it could be too late by then."

Triple H peered at Shawn, tilting his head slightly, too tired to argue anymore. He wanted to sleep, but helping the girl was what mattered now. He shut off the car and quickly unbuckled the seatbelt, opening the car door, Shawn's hand slipping from his shoulder in a flash. He shut the door and walked over to the right side of the back door and opened it. He could now see Shawn holding the girl a little in his arms, as if they both had the same idea.

"You hold the girl and I'll get the bags out of the trunk. Don't show the girl's face, and try to hide some of the tears in her clothes. We'll make it look like she's asleep."

Shawn got out of the car and into the darkness, but the light from the car's ceiling gave a faint light to see the girl. He gently touched the girl's forearm and managed to get his other arm under her legs. He pulled her towards his body and easily reached under her arms and gently pulled her out of the car, herself groaning in Shawn's strong but getting weak arms as he staggered backwards. Triple H managed to use the other key on the chain to unlock the trunk. He grabbed Shawn's bag first and then his, putting both on either shoulder. Only one bag for each wrestler, with their clothes for the arena, normal clothes, and a few necessary objects, was all that was needed. He shut the trunk with a thud, anger still inside of him every time the battered and beaten girl was moaning in Shawn's arms after what seemed like silence. Triple H walked over to the left side door and shut it with a thud while Shawn backed away, ready to walk into the doors of the hotel with his friend and the girl in his arms. Triple H fixed the girl's shirt by moving the torn pieces above her stomach, which was still moving. He also moved the girl's head a little, able to not notice her face while it was buried in Shawn's chest, but found a way for her also to breathe the air around her. Her hair was limp on her face and on Shawn's forearms.

The two best friends gave each other nervous glances as they approached the doors, and Shawn quickly whispered to the girl, "Sweet angel, can you try not to groan too much? We don't want them to think the wrong things. Don't worry, sweet one, you'll be okay...pretty angel."

Triple H opened the only door and held it open. Shawn made his way through, tilting his body a little for the girl not to get injured on the door hinges that stuck out like needles. Triple H quickly got into the lobby with Shawn, who looked down at the girl, keeping an eye on her face and clothes. He could tell she was safe...for now.

They managed to get to the front counter were a man, in his late sixties with a green uniform on, was almost asleep against the counter.

Triple H cleared his throat, followed by cupping a hand to his mouth. "Excuse me?"

The man awoke, but didn't seem to wake completely. "Y-Y-Yes?"

"We need a room, if you don't mind, sir." Triple H said, almost remembering how tired he was, uncupping his mouth.

Shawn tried to keep calm, but his hands were getting tight around the girl's body. She was about to moan, as it seemed, but stopped short of doing so. Shawn gave a sigh of relief as he loosened his grip, but wasn't going to let the girl drop out of his hands.

The man got off the counter and gave Triple H a key and a card. Triple H smiled and left the lobby without the intent of saying anything else.

Shawn looked at the man as he walked towards his friend. "Thank you."

There was no reply. The girl in Shawn's arms groaned a little as Shawn stepped lightly into the elevator with Triple H, still holding the bags on his shoulders. The doors of the elevator closed as soon as Triple H punched the number three on the wall with his index finger.

"It says: Third floor, room 23." Triple H said, looking at the card, tired from the long day.

"That man was nice, but didn't seem to be paying attention." Shawn said, holding the girl as she moaned again...this time very loud.

"Don't worry. We'll help you." Triple H said, touching the girl's visible shoulder.

"That's right, beautiful angel." Shawn said, hoping to shine some light on the matter as the elevator kept going up. It seemed like they were in the elevator for a long time, but it only would have been a minute.

"How long is this hotel?" Triple H asked, possibly to himself.

"Huge, I guess," Shawn said, his muscles aching. "My arms hurt. My old bones just aren't what they used to be."

"Hang in there, buddy," Triple H said, then looked at the girl. "And you too."

Finally, the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and Shawn, cradling the girl in his arms, got out first, then Triple H got out, the bags on his shoulders starting to cause aches and pains like that of the feeling in both of his legs. They managed to find the room, the hallway stretching down with many rooms on both sides, and Triple H opened the door.

The room was bigger than what could have been. Triple H walked into the bedroom on the left and set the bags down on the bed, not bothering to set them to the side. He laid down on the bed, but realized Shawn was still there in the living room. He opened his eyes and saw Shawn place the girl on the couch in the center of the living room.

Shawn had finally gotten the girl out of his arms, and quickly went into the bathroom that was on the right of him. He went inside and grabbed a washcloth from the rack hanging on the wall. He set it under the nossel in the sink, then turned it, letting the cold water splash against the washcloth. He was going to turn it off, but decided to set down the washcloth and cup his hands in front of him in the sink, water collecting and sliding out of his hands in an instant. He rubbed the water on his face, forgetting that he could have some bruising from the fight with the thugs earlier.

Triple H walked out of the bedroom after fumbling around in his own bag for a watch, and quickly found Shawn walking out of the bathroom with a washcloth. He walked over to the couch and applied the cloth to the girl's face.

What led them here was just chance. They happened to come across the thugs on the side of the road by chance, and they also happened to fight them by chance when really there was no choice in the matter. They happened to have seen the girl, and happened to help her when those people beating and hitting her on the road couldn't have cared less if she was dead or alive the next day.

Shawn felt his tears again as the girl's movements were slim to none. She was breathing, but it couldn't have been enough. He managed to get the dirt and blood off her face, but managed to ignore the scars that had been there for possibly hours and bruises that had formed on her face after the scuffle was over.

Triple H saw that the girl looked peaceful from the care that Shawn had tried to give. Maybe there was nothing anyone could do. She probably would need a hospital, but would it be too late by then? The question always was answered in silence. He noticed that Shawn was trying to clean the cuts and scars on the girl's arms and hands, but she groaned aloud and Shawn jerked back, easily worried.

Shawn let the cloth down on the floor after a few moments and quickly said a prayer to his maker. Asking God to help her, comfort her, protect her. He also prayed that the girl would be okay, but if she wasn't, then he would let God's will be done, for she knew that the girl was in God's hands. He happened to also pray for the thugs, and pray that their ways will be stopped for good after this night, and he prayed that the next monday they had to go out and wrestle, he and Hunter and all of the other wrestlers would be okay.

When Shawn finished his prayer, he lifted his head and saw the girl's blue eyes looking at him, partially opened, but able to see enough from the way she kept looking at Shawn. Shawn looked at Triple H, and he noticed the girl's eyes too. He walked over to Shawn and placed a hand on his back, looking at the girl as well. The girl's eyes closed with a groan, and she was appearing to be breathing better than what already had been.

Shawn smiled. Triple H smiled. It was one thing that Shawn and Triple H had both prayed for, either in prayer or not, that the girl would be okay.

"God's looking out for her now." Shawn said, standing up straight and looking at the girl.

"Yeah. I'm going to sleep. It's really late...actually it's morning. Good night." Triple H said, walking into the bedroom.

"Good morning." Shawn teased, causing his best friend to laugh.

Shawn grinned and looked at the girl again. She looked peaceful, but not so much any better than she already looked. Shawn asked God to help her again, then, slowly, he bent down and touched the girl's forehead, feeling her soft and somewhat bloodstained hair, and rubbed it a few moments.

"Good night, beautiful angel," Shawn whispered. "May God protect you."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Triple H sat up in bed, his legs still a little sore, waiting for a sign that the girl he was looking up at was still alive. He was reading, but his intentions were low, wanting nothing to do but rest his body before they had to leave for the next town. He saw the girl sleeping peacefully on the couch and thought he should have kept a more sharp eye out for her during the few hours until daylight broke in.

He woke up about three hours after he had gone to sleep, managing to go back to sleep again after checking on Shawn, then woke up two hours later and couldn't allow sleep to come back to him. He got up from the bed and walked over to the couch, seeing the girl, her broken and beat body still horrific as when they first saw her, and seeing how her breathing had improved since he and Shawn found her. He decided to rub his hand on her forehead, but only to find it a little warm. He stood there for a few moments before finally deciding to pick up the washcloth that Shawn had left beside the bed and use it again, walking into the bathroom and running cold water against the material, able to rinse it out before finally walking back into the room and placing it on the girl's forehead, brushing some hair out of her closed eyes.

Now, collecting his thoughts in the bed, he just looked at the girl as she was sleeping, trying to hold on to life, and yet she looked peaceful as if she was gone. He tried to think of other things, like the next show and what they could possibly be doing, but the girl kept getting into his thoughts. He looked over and saw Shawn sleeping on the bed next to him, not wanting to bother him. After all, Shawn was a few years older and needed extra rest, just as the girl needed all the rest she could get.

A movement on the bed stirred Triple H from his thoughts and he looked over again, only to see Shawn's blue eyes open as he twisted his body around to avoid the blinding sunlight in the window close to the bed.

"How did I get into the bedroom? I could have sworn I was lying next to the couch." Shawn said, groaning, looking up at his friend.

"There was no way I was going to let you sleep on the floor, Shawn. I woke up last night and happened to see you there. I called your name, but you didn't answer, so I picked you up and brought you in here."

Shawn sat up a little as he stretched his bones and muscles, trying to get his body fully awake.

"No wonder I felt like I was falling last night." He said, moving his arms above his head.

"Last night? It was only six hours ago." Triple H said, placing the book he was reading back on the mantle.

Shawn stopped stretching and looked over towards the door. "How's the girl? Is she okay?"

"She's got a slight fever. I checked on her early this morning and I helped her out I think."

"I hope she gets better, Hunter. She didn't deserve what happened to her."

"Me too, buddy."

After a few minutes, Shawn managed to get out of bed and walk into the living room, approaching the couch to see if the girl was okay. She was sleeping, still breathing, and she wasn't groaning and moaning as she was the night that seemed like minutes ago. Shawn breathed deep as he removed the washcloth and quickly checked the girl's forehead, feeling the warm presence that was while his cold hand could have been of some relief. He placed the washcloth back on the girl's forehead and left her once again, turning back to see if she had moved or opened her eyes until he turned his back completely.

Triple H got out bed while Shawn entered the bedroom again, lying back on the bed, grabbing his bag, that happened to have been put on the side along with Hunter's, and going through it until he found his toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, and hairband.

"You don't mind...?" Shawn asked, his voice trailing before he could say anything else.

"You know I don't mind." Triple H said, opening his bag and looking at the neatly folded paper that lied on top of the pile of clothes. It told him about the next cities and states they were to go to. He sighed, the paper still neat looking in his hand. "I knew we were headed to Mississippi."

Shawn smiled and walked back into the living room and, looking over at the girl again, quietly entered the bathroom. He sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror, his image looking ghostly than what had been. He had slight bruising above his right eye, and he noticed the blood and dirt that covered his shirt and some of his blue jeans. He set the items down on the counter and picked up the toothpaste in his left hand and the toothbrush in his other hand. He unhooked the cap from the bottle and squeezed it, not trying to keep his thoughts on the blood that ran from the girl's mouth and nose with that of the ooze-like material. He quickly set the bottle down and began to brush his teeth.

He had a few moments to look at the girl until he spit out the strawberry flavored toothpaste that he loved so well. He managed to clean his mouth off every time with a long white cloth from the rack and continued brushing. He spit a couple more times and, for what seemed like a brief second, he thought he saw the girl moving.

He turned around, the brush out of his mouth, but the girl was the same as she had been. A slight feeling of disappointment hit Shawn's heart as he continued to frown at the girl, his tears too soaked up to flow again. He managed to turn his attention back to his teeth as he turned his back again. He was caught up in spitting so much this time he didn't realize Hunter had appeared by the doorway.

"I still think we should call the police." Triple H said, sighing.

Shawn managed to stand straight again. "I guess it would be the right thing to do."

Triple H noticed his appearance in the mirror and saw the bruises that was on his upper forearms. They were small, but seemed to be noticable. He tried to remember if he was hit there, but more so trying to remember how he got them.

After a few minutes, Shawn finally ended brushing his teeth and rinsed out the brush under the sink. He then placed the top back on the toothpaste and set it down on the counter.

Triple H was looking at the girl, his back resting on the door hinges. "She's pretty tired, I bet. I'd hate to know what she did to get those thugs mad at her."

Shawn almost spoke, but his voice was almost choked with tears that he didn't want to. He grabbed the brush set on the side of the counter and he brushed down his hair, getting out the tangles that had formed, pulling roughly. Triple H noticed this, looking at his friend.

"Shawn, I know your upset about her," He said. "Don't be, buddy. I'm sure she'll be okay."

"How would you know?" Shawn asked, a sob coming close to his throat. He sighed, letting the brush fall onto the counter. "Why am I so upset?"

"You have feelings. Deeper than anyone I know. And you have a big heart."

Shawn let the words hang in the air as he grabbed the little hairband and let it come in contact with his hair, putting it up by leaving half of his hair in the hairband and the other half hanging loosely on his shoulders. He sighed again, letting one tear fall. His emotions were out of control as of late. He at first didn't feel like crying, but then he felt as though he needed to. It was as if he was trying to be someone he wasn't.

Triple H came over and threw his arms around his best friend, realizing Shawn was getting upset as he was hours ago, his chest feeling Shawn's warm back as his head came close to his friend's shoulder. He felt Shawn turning around, and he let his friend do so, now looking into his blue eyes that were swollen with tears that dared to come out of him.

"Shawn...It's okay..." Triple H said, his hands now on Shawn's arms.

Shawn fell against Hunter's shoulder and his tears finally made way. His sobs were loud. His body was shaking. His arms were wrapped around his friend's waist. He needed this moment, or at least what Triple H thought, his hands around Shawn's neck and shoulders. He needed to cry. He needed to let his emotions out. He did so earlier, and he was doing so now.

"I'm sorry," Shawn said in-between sobs. "I'm sorry. I just...get so caught up in my emotions...I can't-"

"There's no need to explain yourself, Shawn. I know you're upset. Just let it out."

"How can I...focuse on our match...if...knowing the girl isn't going to get better?"

"The girl's okay, Shawn. She's breathing," Triple H took a moment to collect himself from crying, tears hanging onto his eyelids, and he began to chuckle. "Your heart is the best I've ever known of. You always cared for others in need."

Shawn began sniffling. A sign he was trying to stop. "I know. I'm a wreak."

"Shawn," Triple H let Shawn's head come off his shoulder and looked into his eyes, a little red, but as blue as they always was. "Your not a wreak. You just get angry or sad and you let it out. Your worrying about the girl, and I am, too."

Shawn let his head hang limp, looking at the white tiled floors. "It's not just the girl, Hunter."

Triple H wanted to ask more questions, but felt he shouldn't since Shawn was like this. He didn't want Shawn to cry anymore. They had been through enough to let emotions like this come and go.

After a few moments, Shawn managed to look at Triple H again, tears streaming his face, letting his friend see them. He knew Hunter wouldn't laugh at him in times like this. Triple H managed to step back and walk over to the nearby counter in the corner of the room and looked in them. Nothing. No spare towels were there.

"Great." Triple H mumbled.

He closed the cabinets and looked back, noticing that Shawn was leaning against the counter, his tears coming down faster. His face becoming more ghostly than what he thought it would be. Shawn managed to breathe in deep breaths as he looked in the mirror, the image of the girl still lying on the couch, as if she was indeed gone. She wasn't moving.

"Please...don't worry about me...check on the girl." Shawn said, not looking back at his friend, his eyes darting the counter.

Triple H stood behind his friend. "You sure?"

Shawn sniffled and his tears kept flowing. His emotions were getting the best of him. His sobs created tension between the Hunter and himself.

"Shawn..." Triple H said, placing his hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Why don't you just go lay down? Sleep some more. It might do you some good."

"No."

"Shawn-"

"No. Check on the girl."

Triple H let his hand slide off Shawn's back and brought it back to his side. It felt hopeless to get Shawn to cooperate. He looked back at the girl on the couch and, after a few seconds, walked into the living room. He took a few steps towards the couch, then looked at the girl.

She looked the same, and she still looked peaceful. Her stomach muscles were moving...better than what had been.

"Hey, Shawn!" Triple H called, not trying to be too loud, but his voice overpowered him.

He looked back towards the bathroom, but Shawn was the same. He was still leaning on the counter, his back to Hunter, and his sniffles turned into short sobs every other second.

"Shawn?"

Shawn twisted towards Hunter, but his body language insisted that Hunter would leave him alone. Triple H tried to think of something to cheer Shawn up, but he couldn't think of anything but the girl. "The girl's breathing better."

"That's a relief." Shawn said, his voice cracking, followed by sobs.

Triple H started to walk back into the bathroom to comfort Shawn, but Shawn had already unclung himself from the counter and walked into the living room, getting another look at the girl, then made way back to the bedroom, his toothpaste, toothbrush, and brush in hand. Triple H looked at Shawn as his back was turned towards him and saw his friend put his materials back in his bag, then, slowly, let his own self down on the bed, his body sideways.

Triple H looked back at the girl, who looked to have been doing better, but there was still a lingering feeling of regret. He felt that the girl might not have a chance. Then again, there was a chance. He decided to check on the girl's fever when he walked over to her, getting a better look, and removed the washcloth, placing a hand on the girl's forehead. It was slightly gone. Triple H sighed in relief.

He took the washcloth in his hands and went back into the bathroom, letting the cold water from the sink seep back into it as he rinsed it out. He walked out of the bathroom and into the living room, looking at the girl again before putting the washcloth gently back on her forehead like before. Her body seemed twisted on the couch, from the look of it, but Triple H decided it was best this way. He walked back into the bedroom, Shawn's body not moving or responding.

"Shawn, can you please move?" Triple H asked, looking at his friend.

Shawn moved a little before getting up completely, his body turning to where his face was now looking into Hunter's, and his body was now straight and his arms crossed his chest, his tears still streaming.

"I'm sorry." Shawn said.

"Shawn, it's okay. You don't have to be sorry." Triple H said, sitting on the edge of the bed, his body turned to the wall.

"But I do. I cried in front of you."

"In front of your friend. I've seen you cry many times, and you said sorry each time. It's okay to cry."

"You have been there for me each time. I guess I am a wreak."

"Shawn..." Triple H turned his body towards his friend, his legs managing to swing onto the bed. "Your not a wreak. Your the greatest friend anyone could ask for."

Shawn looked at Hunter, as if Hunter had broken Shawn's hard shell. "I guess so."

"Well, I know so. Your the greatest friend in the world to me."

Shawn smiled, realizing he wasn't what he intended to be. He sat up and, whipping his tears from his face, looked at Triple H.

"I'm glad your feeling better." Triple H said.

"I'm glad your my friend." Shawn said, smiling.

Triple H moved on the bed to where his back was resting on the headboard. He smiled as he saw Shawn's smile continue to brighten the mood.

"Thanks, buddy." He said.

Then, a noise filled the air. A noise that sounded like a cough. The two friends looked at each other and sprung from the bed, as if they knew where the sound came from. They both walked into the livingroom, where the noises got louder, and looked over at the couch.

The girl was there on the couch, her eyes open completely, and her coughing made Shawn and Triple H smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Hey, sweet angel." Shawn said from the doorway of the bedroom, a smile entranced on his face.

The girl continued coughing, as if she couldn't hear him, but when she stopped she looked over at the two men in the doorway and slightly tried to get up, her blue eyes wide.

Triple H made his way into the room, Shawn following. The girl tried to sit up, but she only managed to sit up a little and she didn't seem to mind the washcloth that was on her forehead. Shawn saw the look in the girl's eyes, and his heart grew heavy.

"No. It's okay, angel. We won't hurt you." He said, trying to sooth his voice after all of his crying.

"Don't worry." Triple H said, walking over to the couch.

The girl tried to sit up completely, her eyes wider. Triple H stopped walking and realized he was a few feet from the girl. Shawn came up behind Hunter and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You want to talk to her or do you want me to?" Shawn whispered in his friend's ear.

"I don't know. She seems scared." Triple H said, looking back at the girl, who didn't move but her eyes told the story.

After a few moments, Shawn walked over to the couch, getting closer to the girl, who kept trying to sit up more, but she was too scared to do so. Shawn managed to lean down next to the couch and look at the girl. When Shawn tried to say something, the girl acted as if she wanted to.

Shawn finally decided to speak. "Hey, pretty one. Are you okay?"

The girl kept looking at him, her head sitting straight on her shoulders to the point the washcloth on her forehead came down and crashed into her chest. She opened her mouth, but closed it immediately, looking back at Triple H, who smiled when he saw the pretty girl before him.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" Shawn asked, confused.

The girl kept looking at Triple H, then she looked back at Shawn. She leaned back on the couch and acted as though she wanted to leave. Wanted to get away. Shawn turned his head to look at Triple H and Triple H walked over to the couch. The girl crouched back on the couch some more.

Triple H looked at the girl as he stood behind Shawn, Shawn standing up and still looking at the girl.

"Listen, Kid, were not going to hurt you. The least we can do is talk to you." Triple H said.

The girl kept her eyes on the two men, darting to one then the other. She kept her posture stiff, and she had a look of worry on her face that worried both of the two men in front of her. Shawn looked at Triple H, who kept his head straight and looked at the girl.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Triple H asked, his arms crossing his chest.

The girl kept looking at the two friends, her eyes worried as her face was. She looked different than what was when they first found her.

"What's your name?" Triple H asked, looking a little concerned.

The girl just looked at the two, then she let her head fall a little to where she was looking at the washcloth on her chest. She picked it up and looked at it, her eyes wide, as if she was studying it. Shawn chuckled at the girl and looked at his friend, whose question still remained unanswered.

"She's quite a listener." Shawn teased.

"Yeah, right," Triple H walked over to the couch to where the girl gasped when his body was blocking her view of anything else in front of her. "What's your name, kid?"

Shawn noticed the look of worry getting deeper in the girl's eyes, them moving up and down, as if studying Triple H's figure and trying not to look him in the eyes too much.

"Hunter," Shawn said, walking towards the couch where his friend was. "Maybe we should make her comfortable before she gets too scared."

Triple H looked at him. "Yeah, she's scared all right. But why isn't she talking? All I asked was a simple question."

Shawn placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "Let's just help her for now, then she'll talk when she's ready. I let my kids do that when their scared or angry. Don't you?"

"No, I just take control. That's what I'm supposed to do."

"Well, it's alright to take control, but you'll push someone over the limit if you're not careful."

"Shawn, don't go preacher on-"

"I'm not going preacher! I'm trying to be your friend is all!"

"Oh, sure. Your like Vince only you're much younger and less aggressive!"

Suddenly, the girl laughed. Shawn and Triple H looked at her at the same time. She cowered back, the stares were that fast. Shawn let a smile come to his face as Hunter kept trying to think of ways not to argue with Shawn, but most of all trying not to argue with a teenage girl such as the one on the couch.

"Well, she thinks our conversations are funny." Shawn said, trying to touch the girl's hand, but she yanked it back.

Triple H kept looking at the girl. "Yeah...lets just hope she'll start talking before we pack up and leave. We'll get her to the police station soon enough."

Shawn's heart became heavy again. He looked at the girl with worry, and worry was entranced on her face as well. She must have been scared more than anything when Hunter said that.

Triple H walked back into the bedroom and grabbed his bag from off the floor. He fumbled through it while hearing Shawn talking in the living room.

"Don't worry, pretty angel. It'll be okay. You just stay here." Shawn was saying.

Triple H heard Shawn's footsteps come into the room just as he grabbed the neatly folded paper again and looked at it a second. "Well, we better get going."

Then, he noticed the look in Shawn's eyes. The worry shown on his face.

"What?" Triple H asked.

Shawn looked back at the girl, who looked at the two men in the other room from the couch, and turned back around to face his friend. "She needs us, Hunter. We can't send her to the police knowing she'll be scared. She'll probably think that we've abandoned her. Besides, she probably had been. You never know. I think that if we-"

"She'll get all the help she needs when the police take her."

Triple H looked at Shawn, whose hands started to shake at the words that hung in the air.

"Shawn," Triple H said slowly. "She'll be okay no matter what happens."

"How would you know? Your not her, and you don't know what she's been through."

"Then ask her, Shawn! She's not talking to me anyway! She'll talk to you since your the one being the favorite around here."

"Who ever implied that?! No one had to ever imply that! I just care for her is all!"

"If you care so much then you should just go check on her right now!"

Silence and tension filled the room. Shawn took a deep breath, not wanting to fight, but everything built up inside the two friends was coming out in a blaze of fury, as if nothing could ease their minds, and the girl listening to all of this must have been more afraid than to start with.

"Maybe I will." Shawn said, glaring at his friend before turning his back to him.

He walked into the living room and looked at the girl, her eyes and face full of worry. He noticed a tear on her face, and he gently wiped it away after she flinched back, but allowed Shawn to do so. She grabbed his hand and rubbed it a little, as if she could feel what Shawn was feeling.

"Sorry you had to here that," Shawn said, placing his other hand on the girl's hand. "Maybe you wont have to worry so much when we get this cleared up. Until then...do you need anything?"

The girl kept looking down at his hand on top of her's and didn't do anything else. She didn't even smile. Her blue eyes were misted with tears.

"Come on, pretty one, it's okay," Shawn said, wiping more tears with his free hand. "Are you hungry? Do you need some water?"

Shawn thought he saw the girl's head move, but when he looked down after his questions went unanswered, the girl's arms clung to him and her head rested on his shoulder. She was soft at the touch, and Shawn smiled when he found his way around the girl's tough grip.

"Your a good girl. You know that?"

In the bedroom, Triple H looked on as the girl was hugging Shawn to the point it looked as though she wanted to squeeze him, but didn't need to. He sighed, realizing the fight he had with Shawn was pointless. He wanted to say how he felt, and he took it out on his only friend. Well, maybe not his only friend, but the closest friend he ever had. He just wished he didn't have to be so hard on the subject of the girl.

* * *

An hour later, Shawn and Triple H were getting their bags over their shoulders as the girl looked on from the couch. She had managed to sit up and drink some water before managing to eat a little bit of an apple Shawn had gotten for her downstairs, but not before he ran into some fans and signed autographs for them and took pictures with them. They even said they were going to the next show in Mississippi, where Shawn and Hunter were going. Shawn managed to get back upstairs after talking to the fans and gave the apple to the girl. Triple H hadn't talked to him since the fight.

Shawn also managed to look at the girl and fumble through his bag before he could find a t-shirt with a big "DX" symbol on the front. He even managed to find some pants that looked as if they would fit the girl.

Triple H noticed this. He thought it would be a good time to break the silence. "Shawn, you can't fit those."

"I know. I just decided to give the girl some clean clothes. Maybe she'll be able to walk so she can get in the shower real quick."

"You're serious? The police can handle that, Shawn."

"Let's not start this again, Hunter," Shawn said, the cloths in his hands as he walked towards the door. "Besides, I'm the favorite, remember?"

Triple H gave Shawn a look and roughly walked past Shawn and sat down on the edge of the couch where the girl wasn't in the way. Shawn immediately walked into the room and walked up to the girl, trying to hold in his anger, more so trying not to show it.

"Angel," He said. "Do you think you can walk? I think it would be nice to get out of those things and in these. I picked them out myself."

The girl looked at the clothes in Shawn's hands and quickly grabbed them, studying them as she held the t-shirt up into the light. A bright smile came to her face as she nodded.

"Alright, then," Triple H said, getting off the couch. "You need me to help her into the bathroom."

Shawn looked at him. "Let's see if she can walk first."

The girl looked at Shawn and smiled a little, trying to get her feet on the floor as Shawn held her by the hand. She began to sit up as her grip on Shawn's hand became stronger. She managed to stand on her feet and lean on Shawn for balance. Shawn looked at Triple H, who was smiling. Something Shawn least expected.

"All right, angel, you ready?" Shawn asked, smiling.

"Are you ready?" Triple H teased, that boom in his voice as when they were in front of an audience.

The girl laughed at Hunter's voice, then, slowly, let go of Shawn's hand. She managed to keep her balance a second until she started to fall. Shawn caught her immediately, letting out a groan from the way she collapsed into his arms.

"Okay," Shawn staggered back on to his feet. "Let's try that again."

The girl smiled again, as if she wasn't going to give up. She was managing to hold the clothes in her hands tightly as she managed to let go of Shawn's hand again. This time, she managed to stay there for a few more seconds before collapsing again in Shawn's arms.

"Need a hand?" Triple H asked, walking over to Shawn.

"No, I'm good. We're all good." Shawn said, staggering, realizing his back muscles were beginning to hurt.

"Shawn, you need to rest a minute. I'll take care of the girl."

Shawn managed to keep his hand on the girl's hand while looking at Hunter, who looked confident in the girl. Shawn nodded, not letting his back injuries from back in the day get the best of him, and handed the girl over to Triple H. The girl, at first, didn't touch Triple H's hand, but only collapsed onto his chest. Triple H grabbed her hand and looked at her.

"Are you ready?" He asked, the same boom in his voice.

The girl laughed, then nodded as she smiled at the other man. She let go of Triple H's hand and saw that she was standing on her own. Not staggering. Not falling. She was standing there.

"Good job, angel." Shawn said.

"Very good," Triple H said. "Now, can you walk?"

The girl took a step forward, then another. She was walking normally. This came as a shock to the two friends.

"Wow, she's a fast learner." Triple H said as he saw the girl walk into the bathroom. He closed the door with a smile.

He walked over to the couch where Shawn was sitting, his face with agony more than pleasure.

"You okay, buddy?" Triple H asked.

Shawn looked up, rubbing his back in the process. "My old bones again. This time it's my back."

Triple H sat down next to his friend. He smiled as Shawn smiled at him. Their tensions seemed to have died down.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." Triple H said, a hand on his friend's back, letting Shawn's hand fall to his side.

"I'm sorry, too." Shawn said, his back muscles aching so bad he could have screamed. But he didn't want to.

"That girl sure does know how to put a smile on someone's face." Triple H said.

"Did she put one on yours, Hunter?" Shawn teased.

"Yep. She sure did. But...I still think that-"

"Hunter, dont."

"Shawn-"

"Look...the girl is in our hands. God has taken care of her. Yes, she does have scars on her and, yes, she does have bruises and won't talk. But trust me, she will talk when she gets ready."

Triple H thought a moment. "Maybe those cops wont help her...then again they might."

"So, we're just going to give her up? After all of this?"

"Well, I think it's a good idea to know who she is so we can take her to the police."

"So, when she's done showering she'll start talking? Is that what your saying, Hunter?"

"Shawn, I don't want to start another argument. Let's just help the girl and get out of here. The show starts tomorrow and I don't want to be late for practice."

Shawn looked down at the carpet, that was a mixture of brown and white, and sighed. "I think she needs someone."

* * *

In the bathroom, the girl turned off the nossel to the shower and quickly grabbed the only towel she managed to find on the counter. She dried off and put her new clothes on, thinking of how happy she was knowing she was with someone who cared. Someone who loved her. Someone like those two men. Not like-

She stopped thinking about it and looked at the clothes she had on. The blue jeans fit just right, and were a good mix from the color of the shirt. The shirt was black and had some letters on the front that said: "DX: Are You Ready?" The back had nothing on it, but the shirt was good nonetheless.

She shook her head, trying to get out of her trance. She touched her face, and saw the blemishes. Her smile faded. She wasn't in the best mood, but her mood was gone. She now couldn't face the two men looking at what she thought was a clown. A freak. That's what she thought of herself.

She saw the scars on her arms and hands, even little scars stood out on her neck as well. Bruises were on the side of her right cheek and under her left eye. She kept frowning when she saw them. Now, she thought she was a huge mess. A freak.

That's what those two men probably thought of me, She thought. Just like all those who look at me.

She stepped past her old, ragged, and dirty and bloodstained clothes and picked them up. After all, she heard one of the men say they were headed to Mississippi. A place she had never seen. How much she longed to see this new place. A place where she could explore new wonders. She longed to see new things, no matter how much she wanted to stay home.

But she doesn't have a home anymore.

* * *

Shawn and Triple H waited for the girl, and the tension that left for those minutes before heated again, and it seemed forever would have to beat them to get anywhere this time.

Shawn lowered his head as he waited, wanting nothing more to do than help the girl. He succeed with Hunter a couple of times, but now it seemed as though the two friends could never forgive themselves for their actions.

Triple H couldn't understand why Shawn couldn't follow through with his plan. When they found the girl, they planned to have taken her to the police, but it seemed it was more of his idea than Shawn's. Shawn was so tender-hearted, at least what Hunter thought, that he couldn't see through with the plans that were in store.

Then, the girl came out of the bathroom and looked at the two men in front of her, waiting, watching, possibly planning to laugh or giggle at her. Instead, they smiled simotanisily and looked at her.

Shawn spoke up, standing straight, his back aching less than what had been. "You look better now. Come on, pretty one, let's get going."

As Shawn looked at Hunter, the girl caught sight of the way the other man was looking at the man standing up. He looked sort of surprised, but his expressions were more angry than anything. His muscles were huge compared to the size of the other man's muscles, yet he looked tough, too.

Triple H got off the couch and grabbed his bag's lace, keeping the bag from falling as Shawn kept his from falling.

"Did you get everything?" Triple H asked.

"Yes, Hunter. I got everything." Shawn said, the girl looking at him.

The girl noticed the washcloth on the side of the couch and picked it up, seeing the blood and dirt that was entwined with the cold and damp feelings. She knew she had a fever, but why was there so much blood and dirt there too?

Shawn noticed the girl's actions. "You think we should double check the room?"

Triple H sighed. "Yeah, let's do that. And the bathroom, too."

Shawn and Triple H walked into the bedroom as the girl followed them. Shawn checked under the bed, his muscles aching from the impact, and he gave a thumbs up to his friend.

"All clear." He said.

Triple H checked the table with the non-interesting magazines and quickly gave a smile to his friend.

"We're good here."

Triple H set his bag down on the bed and opened it. He looked for anything missing, and everything was there. He realized he and Shawn hadn't showered since they found the thugs, but it was already too late since they needed to leave now.

"I'm good. You?"

"You know I check my bag every time I put my stuff back in it."

"So...your good?"

"Yes, Hunter."

Shawn made way past the girl, with a smile, and he walked into the bathroom, Triple H followed him as the girl got out of his way. She saw the two men look around the counters and look in the cabinets. It was awkward to see such things as this. She had never seen anyone do this before.

She felt something on the palm of her hand and saw the washcloth was still there. She looked at it a second, seeing everything that was on there and feeling the cold touch, and, walking over to the bed, she saw the bag that one of the men had left open. She decided to look inside.

A neatly folded paper was on top of the neatly folded clothes. She grabbed the paper and held it in her other hand as she lowered the washcloth into the bag with her other hand. She pushed it down past the clothes and towards the bottom of the bag. She let it go and put the paper back on the bag.

She left the room and saw the two men finishing up their looking in the bathroom. She noticed one of the men, the nice one, was holding her old and torn clothes. He put them in his bag that was laying on the counter.

"All right, we're clear." Triple H said.

"Yeah. Oh, I'll get the girl's shoes from the livingroom."

Shawn walked in the livingroom and got the shoes that was on the side of the couch. He handed them over to the girl.

"Put these back on." Shawn said.

The girl took them and walked over to the couch, placing her right shoe on her right foot, then her left shoe on her left foot. She tied the laces and immediately got up as she saw the nice man in front of her.

"All right, let's go." Triple H called from the bedroom as he zipped up his bag and placed it over his shoulder.

Shawn and the girl walked over to Triple H, then, they left the hotel room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_A horrible smell filled the air. It hit her nostrils with an impact that left her coughing without the intent on breathing. She didn't want to breathe it in, but she knew she had to catch her breath, too. She knew what the smell was before it even hit her._

_She watched the smoke rise into the air, and the sound of crackling was barely in earshot. Yet it was still heard. The smoke rose to the ceiling and she quickly coughed again, hearing the noises of footsteps coming down the stairs._

_The heavy pounding left her out of breath completely. Left her without hope to even get out of the room._

_The footsteps got closer and closer, yet she wasn't afraid. At least on the outside. Inside of her was a fear that even she was afraid of. A fear that snuck up on her and threatened to take her away._

_That's what those footsteps could have done. Taken her away. But it didn't do so._

_The footsteps walked past her, and she slowly walked up towards the stairs that was the nightmare she never wanted. How many times had she felt the effect of these stairs? Possibly one-hundred times plus more. She walked up them slowly, and she quickly went towards the room that was far away on the other side of the hall._

_She could hear the sounds of coughing again, but it wasn't a surprise to her ears. She had heard these coughs so much she couldn't bare to hear them any longer. All she wanted to do was check on the person behind the door._

_She managed to peek through the crack in the doorway, seeing the person lying there, almost peaceful-like, but still looking rough, yet lovely._

_She opened the door and managed to hear the coughs again, and she saw the bottles on the floor and the blood that was on the..._

A bump in the road made the girl's eyes open. She felt the impact and thought she was in an accident, but she appeared to be fine, sitting in the backseat of the car as the two men were sitting in the front. Her seatbelt was rubbing the scars on her neck, and she adjusted it after it caused a sharp pain. She yelped from the impact.

Shawn had been caught up in his thoughts that the girl brought him back to reality. "You okay, pretty one?"

The girl looked and him and smiled. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was beating. She didn't think it was a good idea to look the nice man in the eyes, yet she was entranced by the blue eyes that matched her eye color. She looked down fast, almost peering over to the first-aid kit that was lying in the other seat parallel to her. It had been used, as the girl could tell, but why was it there?

Triple H kept his eyes on the road as his thoughts of the girl began to disappear. He had been looking at the mirror above him a couple of times and saw the girl sleeping in the corner of his eye, yet he wasn't in a good mood to put up with Shawn. He saw the many buildings pass the car like flashes of lightning and intended to try to find a police station. It was an unsuccessful ride.

Shawn remembered how they got out of the hotel after paying the man at the front counter, who knew nothing of the job they worked for, as Shawn and Hunter could tell, and they snuck out the back door after dodging some fans in the stairwell. The girl was laughing at Triple H when he ducked under a tree plant just to dodge one fan that walked past them with a Batista t-shirt on. Triple H didn't seem to find it humorous, but he still chuckled with the girl.

Shawn began chuckling himself, and Triple H looked at him. "What?"

"You really don't want fans to notice us, do you?" Shawn asked, smiling over at his friend.

"I just don't want to get mugged or mobbed, Shawn. One time that almost happened and we almost ran out into the street. Remember? It was a busy night that night and the fans were piled outside after the show and then-"

"And then we had to run and we almost got hit by a car." Shawn finished, chuckling.

The girl laughed and smiled, listening in on the conversation the two men were having. There was nothing else better to do.

"No, it was you who ended up almost getting hit, Shawn," Triple H said, peering over to his friend. "You didn't see the car and I caught you just in time."

Shawn cringed, remembering that horrible night when he heard the fans screaming when they thought he had been hit. Remembering the way Hunter grabbed him on the arm and pulled him towards him so hard he hit the concrete of the arena stomach first. Remembering the lights that were so bright he noticed them but didn't think he was that close to it, hearing the horn that blasted into his ears.

"Shawn? Shawn?"

Shawn snapped out of his thoughts, still cringing. "Yes, Hunter?"

"You okay? You seemed out of it a second."

"I'm fine," Shawn laughed. "I've been out of it a lot lately."

The girl looked out the window of the car. The looks of the old buildings sure didn't make her feel any better than what she had been. She felt kind of sick. Kind of sad as it were. She saw the buildings pass her and she quickly noticed the sign on her side of the car.

It was a sign that caused Triple H to groan. "We're in Mississippi...and still no police stations."

Shawn smiled. "Maybe God's trying to tell you something."

The girl smiled, too. She saw the beautiful green pastors that passed her and the way the houses looked was amazing. Even in daylight, she thought she could see nothing but green all around her. So this was the new wonders she was to see. Her hands stopped shaking from the sights.

I'm beginning to like this already, She thought. I love this place from just one look.

Triple H looked around the green pastors and the green forest that was ahead of them. Shawn even kept his glance out of the window, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him again. He tried not to cry, and yet he could feel tears on the brink of his eyes. His hands began shaking as they were in the hotel room.

"Shawn, I think we need to talk about this." Triple H said, already having a bad feeling about Shawn's mood swings as of late.

"Talk about what? The police? Again?" Shawn asked, his voice not getting any higher. He didn't want to get emotional.

"The police might help her, Shawn," Triple H said, peering at the girl in the backseat. "It's for the best. Besides, you wanted help for her. Remember that, Shawn?"

Shawn felt a burst of anger fill his chest. "Well, Hunter, if your going to be such a jerk about this then I guess we wont talk about it."

"Oh, we're talking about it! I can't bare to see this girl in pain, Shawn, but I can't see why you think it's a bad idea to help her!"

"I do want to help her! But I don't want her to go to the police! She's not dead, Hunter! She's not a victim! She's alive! And I thank God for it! Now, if you can't see that, then what's the point of even talking about it?!"

Triple H wanted to say something, but Shawn's words stung him immediately after they were said. The words lingered in his head. They lingered so much he didn't realize they passed a police station sitting in plain sight.

Shawn saw the station fly past the car, and breathed a sigh of relief, yet he knew his friend couldn't let up on his word. He felt his tears again, this time on his face. He didn't even feel them.

"Shawn," Triple H said, now gently, realizing his friend was upset again. "What if she has someone to go to?"

Shawn looked out the window and kept his mind on other things, such as the way to the arena, but he didn't care to look at the map on the dashboard.

"Shawn?" Triple H asked, his voice a little louder.

The girl had heard the argument, trying to make sense of all the words spoken. She tried to get her mind off of it, but it kept coming back to her. It hit her heart with a sadness she had already felt before. She saw the nice man look out of the window, and saw the tears streaking his face, his long hair not moving against his shoulders. The other man, however, looked mad, yet no tears were found. She felt that this man was stubborn, but friendly too. Still, they were friends and there was no telling how this argument was going to effect that. She looked back at the nice man, and saw the same tears again.

I've never seen a man cry before, She thought. Why is he crying? Is he worried about me?

Slowly, she lifted herself up a little, her back warm from being pressed against the seat, and managed to look at the nice man closer. His blue eyes were red looking on the outside, as if he was trying to keep his emotions hidden, but they were still coming out. She let her hands come to the back of his seat and pushed her hands against the bars that held the head set in place. She felt the seatbelt sting her scars again and removed it quickly before she could think of a better way to not cause much sound. She quickly found the other man peering at her and still looking at the road.

"Hey, what are you doing? Just sit back, everything's okay."

But it's not, The girl thought. You hurt his feelings.

The girl looked at Triple H before realizing she was staying in the same position. She didn't even notice the nice man peering at her as well.

"It's okay, beautiful angel," He said, his voice low and cracked. "Don't worry about this."

The girl didn't know if the nice man was like the other one, but knew that he cared for her. Why was he upset? Still, she knew not the first answer.

She wanted to sit back, but her body kept from doing so. She almost managed to let her emotions of worry and fear get in the way. For the first time, she seemed scared for the two men in front of her. They were like ghosts to her, but that's what she always thought of herself.

"Kid," The other man was saying. "Lean back and we'll all be okay."

The girl looked at him, but the nice man shifted his position to where he was looking at the other man too, then, he looked at her, wiping the tears from his face with his fingers.

"It's okay, beautiful angel. Don't worry about a thing, okay? We'll be okay."

The girl sat back in the seat, easing her body away from the seat in front of her. She tried to focus on the window, but the seatbelt was in the way, and she threw it around her again just as it was before. She felt her heart getting heavy, and her tears were not as there as she wanted them to be. Those words the men spoke were of nothing surprising, since that's all they talked about in front of her.

Okay, maybe not all the time, The girl thought. But they are talking about me a lot...why?

Triple H looked over at Shawn, whose emotions were hidden but his tears were clearly visible. He sighed, wishing for a better way to get to Shawn.

"I'm sorry, Shawn," He said, he voice trailing. "I didn't mean to..."

Shawn twisted his head a little, Hunter able to read his body motions. He wasn't in the best mood to talk.

"I didn't mean to upset you. Let alone yell at you. I'm...I'm sorry."

Shawn turned his head straight, but couldn't help but look down at the floorboard. "I'm sorry, too."

The girl listened to the two men and thought about how they changed in their moods. It was something she had never seen before. A small smile came to her lips, managing to keep her true feelings hidden.

Triple H smiled himself, looking over at Shawn, but back at the road, seeing the road was coming into yet another city. He knew where the arena was, now that it dawned on him. They had been there before.

"I bet the show will be good. Can't wait to see what's gonna happen." He said, trying to brighten the mood.

Shawn felt a little confused. He looked up and at his friend. "So...the girl's staying with us?"

Triple H sighed. "I guess she can stay for now...but not for very long."

Shawn breathed deep as his tears kept from showing again. He wiped the remaining ones he had on his face and looked back at the girl. "Yeah, I guess so."

A phrase she knew all too well. I guess so.

It was a phrase that was sickening to here, even as the nice man turned back around to look at the road, it left a sickening impact, looking at the man or not. She tried to eye something amusing in the city passing them, but now it seemed hopeless when the phrase hit her ears and crawled into her stomach like a virus.

She hated those words. She stared at the floor of the car, and the phrase echoed in her head. But the voice was that of someone she didn't know. Someone she didn't seem to care for now. That feminine voice that was low and growlful, but hard when she would yell the phrase out of her mouth.

_I guess so...I guess so...I guess so...I guess so..._

"...Mom..."

Triple H thought he heard something, but it seemed low and soft to hear completely. Shawn thought the same thing, but, when he turned his head again, he saw the tears that flowed down from the girl's blue eyes.

Shawn felt his heart sink. "You okay, angel?"

The girl didn't notice how the nice man was looking at her. She had not known she was even noticed.

"...Yes..." Her voice trialed.

Triple H sat up straighter and looked into the mirror, trying to get what he heard right. The girl was talking.

Shawn smiled, his mouth almost hung open but he stopped himself. "Your talking. That's a good sign."

The girl smiled faintly. Her tears felt heavy. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" Triple H asked, almost as shocked as Shawn was. His eyes barely managed to look on at the road.

"I'm not good at...anything."

"Well, are you good at telling us your name?" Shawn asked, his voice soft just as the girl's was.

The girl managed to look up a little and see the eyes of the two men, looking at her directly or through a mirror, and she spoke up, finally feeling her full emotions.

"My name...is...Kelly."

Triple H smiled. "Okay...Kelly...how old are you?"

Kelly looked at the other man and smiled faintly, the first time she ever done so at him. The nice man continued to look on, his blue eyes shimmering from all of the mood swings as of late. Kelly sighed and wished there was a better way to get out of their cold stares, but wanted to be wrapped in them.

"Seventeen." Kelly said, her voice soft and low as it always was.

Shawn smiled at her and moved a little in the seat to get a better look at her. "Your a good girl. I'm sure you're good at something."

Kelly took the words in but managed to let the words linger too. "What's your name?"

"Who are you talking to?" Triple H teased.

Kelly laughed. "Man with the beard."

"We both have beards. Mine's full..." Triple H said, then pointed to Shawn. "And his is getting there."

"I like mine short. I don't want mine like yours." Shawn teased, laughing.

Kelly laughed again, and felt a string of happiness in her heart. She had never really had a conversation with a man before. "Man with the short beard."

Shawn kept facing Kelly and smiled. "I'm Shawn."

Triple H looked out on the road before finally saying something. "They call me Triple H, but you just call me Hunter."

"Shawn. Hunter." Kelly repeated, a small smile on her face, eyeing the two men.

Shawn turned back around and saw the road before them. He grabbed the map in the dashboard and pointed out the street. "That's where were headed, Hunter."

"I know, Shawn, I know where to go." Triple H said, smirking.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. I'm so sure I know were going to get there before Randy, Big Show, or Edge. And Edge was always late. He came in one time with his nightshirt on and realized he had a match up next, and he wasn't concentrating the whole time."

Shawn laughed. "Well, Ric Flair always liked to beat you to the arena."

"Yeah...I remember one time we made a bet to see who would get to the next town first and I was so excited I ended up looking at the map as my guide, while he claimed he knew the way himself."

"What happened?" Kelly asked, amused by the story, smiling.

"Well, let's just say I owe him $100."

Shawn laughed, hearing Kelly laugh behind him, and sighed from all of the excitement. "And?"

"It was a place he knew alright." Triple H grumbled.

"Where was it?" Shawn asked.

"It was his hometown."

An hour later, Triple H managed to see the big stadium with the flashing lights and security guards awaiting outside the place. Shawn looked amused as he kept smiling from all the jokes getting played on their non-favorite superstars...like old times.

Kelly saw the big stadium and saw the big sign out in the front that read: _Monday Night Raw Live! 8:00 to 10:00 Tonight_

Kelly grew confused. "Why are we here?"

"This is where we work." Shawn said, his nerves getting scary by the second as Hunter pulled into the parking lot.

"Wow...this is a cool place." Kelly whispered.

Triple H found a parking space in the very back of the arena, where no one could see them enter, and he quickly shut off the vehicle. Shawn and Hunter got out of the car, and Triple H opened the trunk to get their bags. As soon as they approached the car again, Shawn opened Kelly's.

Kelly had unbuckled her seatbelt, but she didn't move. She looked worried.

"You want to come with us, Kelly?" Shawn asked.

Triple H touched Shawn's shoulder and brought his face close to Shawn's ear. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Shawn looked at his friend and smiled. "Come on, Hunter, It'll be a great experience for her."

"What if people say something? They think it's one of our kids or something?"

"We'll tell them the truth," Shawn said, but then he looked worried. "Okay, maybe not the whole truth. Maybe we'll tell them that she's a lucky fan who gets to meet the Wrestlers?"

Triple H lifted his eyebrows. "Shawn Michaels...lying? That's a first."

Shawn shrugged with a smile. "I'll pray later."

Kelly let a small smile form when she saw the building, but her worried feelings took over.

"Is it safe, Shawn?" She asked, looking at him.

"Yes, sweetheart, it's safe. Come on out of there." Shawn said, laughing a little.

Kelly tried to ignore the laughs, but she let out a chuckle and felt her feet hit the concrete. She quickly got out of the car and smiled at the two men near her. She felt their smiles as she looked forward, the doors of the arena awaiting them.

* * *

Inside, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase was waiting impatiently. Cody the most. The two were standing in the hallway near the entrance. Cody was pacing the floor while Ted leaned against the wall. They both were in their wrestling attires and were ready to practice for tonight's main event.

Cody looked at his watch. "Man, where are they? Shawn and Hunter know better than to be late."

"There not late. I'm sure there okay." Ted said, trying not to start a fight. He wasn't in the mood.

"If they are late it'll be the last thing they ever do."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Whatever. As long as they know what to do for the match tonight."

Ted glared. "I'm pretty sure that's up to us now."

Then, an echo filled the room. An echo that was a soft and low voice. A whisper more than anything. "Wow. This is cool."

"Who said that?" Ted asked himself, looking around.

Cody stopped pacing and looked at the direction of the sound. It was coming from down the hall, and the voice got softer to where it was hard to hear. Then, other voices. Loud voices boomed the hallway. Cody smiled.

"The guys are here. Finally." He said.

"You can hear them? Wow." Ted said, his back now off the wall and standing in front of Cody.

"I took up a few things from my father."

Ted laughed. "Me too."

The two men looked on as the other two men, who they were facing tonight, was coming down the hallway with a girl whom they had never seen before. She looked to be a teenager, and it didn't seem she was part of the show, or at least what everyone else would know besides them.

"Hey, Ted. Hey, Cody." Triple H said, his smile getting bigger as he and Shawn and Kelly walked to the two men in front of them, their attires full of light.

Cody smiled, but couldn't help but notice the way the mysterious girl was looking down when the two men behind her stopped walking. She had no eye contact. Something that Cody had never seen out of a girl. A teenage girl at that.

"Is she okay?" Cody asked, not realizing the tone of his voice.

Shawn smiled over at Ted, then looked over at Cody. "This is Kelly. She's going to be staying with us for a little while."

Ted gave the two men a confused look. "But...why is she here?"

Shawn let his nerves get the best of him. He looked down a second, then looked back up. "Well, she, um-"

"She's just with us for the night. It's no big deal." Triple H interrupted.

"It seems like one." Cody murmured.

"Cody...shut up." Ted said, trying to act cool about the situation. "We should get to the ring. We have to practice."

Ted smiled at the girl then walked down the hall, trying to collect his thoughts. Cody remained where he was, glaring at his partner. He watched him walk down to the doors on the far end, then turned around to see the two men and the girl in front of him.

"She's with you, huh?" Cody asked, possibly to himself, but grinned when he thought about it. "Oh, well, its a start."

Triple H laughed sarcastically as Cody turned his back on him, Shawn, and Kelly. He walked through the doors and into the other places beyond them.

"He's not nice." Kelly said, looking up at Shawn and Hunter.

"Yeah...he's not nice to anyone. His father is, though." Shawn said.

"Come on, let's get to our locker room." Triple H said, adjusting the bag on his shoulder before walking down the hall. Shawn followed him along with Kelly, who looked around the wide place as soon as they passed through the double doors.

"The other one was nice." Kelly said, almost out of nowhere.

"Yeah, he is," Shawn said, then set his head to Triple H's ear, whispering, "Why did you change the subject? A thought she was going to be one of the fans."

Triple H smirked. "Thank me later."

"I'll thank you now." Shawn said, looking forward again.

After a few minutes of walking the long, white halls, the three managed to stop in front of a door with a name plate that said: D-Generation X.

Kelly looked at the name plate and grew confused. "What's that mean?"

"That is our tag-team name. We made it up ourselves." Triple H said, opening the door.

"The company gives us our own locker rooms, so you'll be in luck tonight to have some time to yourself while we work." Shawn said as he entered the room, smiling over at Kelly, setting his bag down on the floor before finally sitting in a chair nearby.

Triple H followed Shawn's routine. "We don't have the same locker room every week, but we thankfully get the best one."

Kelly sat on the floor beside Shawn. She looked around the room, which consisted of many lockers with shirts and jeans hanging from them. They were all the color green. She even noticed some sticks hanging up in the lockers.

"What are those sticks for?" She asked.

Shawn fumbled through his bag while looking up at Kelly. "Those are glow sticks. We throw them to the fans."

"Lucky fans catch them." Triple H added, standing up and stretching.

Kelly seemed amused by this. "How many fans?"

"A couple. But there's a lot of people out there in those stands hoping they'll get one." Triple H said.

"Must be a lot of people." Kelly said, laughing.

Just as she finished laughing, the door opened. Ted was standing there, but looked like he was in a hurry to get out.

"You two better hurry up. Cody's not gonna wait any longer. He's already practicing his moves." He said.

"We're coming," Shawn said, standing up, his muscles aching a little. "We need to get dressed first."

Ted looked over at the girl. "Is she going to the ring too? She's in your gear."

"No," Triple H said. "She's not apart of the show. We're just looking out for her."

Shawn looked over at Hunter, then, he got an idea. "I'm sure she can come while there's nobody there."

Ted smiled. "Yeah. It wouldn't hurt anything."

Triple H looked at the two men, then Kelly. It seemed hopeless to win the battle happening at the time.

"Okay, okay," He said, grabbing his attire clothes from his bag. "She can come...for now."

Kelly got up with some excitement. She decided to look over at the many clothes and glow sticks that were hanging on the walls.

Ted laughed when he saw this. "She's quite one to please."

"Yeah," Shawn said, then, he looked at Kelly. "Kelly, go with Ted to the ring. We'll be there in a second."

Kelly's face looked a little worried. She didn't know who this man was, but, he seemed nice. She nodded slowly and walked over to Ted, who smiled at her and laughed.

"I'll take her to the ring. See you guys there." Ted said, as he put one hand over Kelly's shoulder, leading her out of the room and down the hallway.

Triple H closed the door to the locker room and quickly changed into his attire before Shawn could finish. Shawn was having trouble with his shirt, so Hunter had to help him.

"You okay, buddy?" Triple H asked, getting the shirt over Shawn's head and on him correctly.

"Yeah, but my arms hurt all of a sudden. My muscles don't like me today."

"I'll see if I have any pain medicine."

Shawn grabbed Hunter's arm before he could walk to his bag. "You don't have to do that."

"I do. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I've been hurting enough. You don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Shawn got his attire together and walked with Triple H out the door of the locker room, smiles on their faces.

* * *

At the ring, Cody was already sweating from the way he was working his muscles so fast. His moves were perfect. In fact, he knew he was perfect. All of his dad's training had to pay off. He saw Ted coming down the ramp with the same girl that was with Shawn and Hunter.

"What is she doing here?" He whispered, getting up from his crouching position.

Ted was talking to the girl, and she laughed at something he was saying.

"...And this is where all of the announcers sit. Don't worry, there not here yet, so why don't you sit in one of these chairs and watch us work, okay?"

"Okay." Kelly said, a small smile forming on her face. She had no intention to argue with this man.

As the girl sat down at the announcer's table, Ted walked over and jumped into the ring, climbing over the ropes. He smiled at Cody, but Cody didn't look anything but happy.

"She's not even supposed to be here. She's not on the roster. Why is she here?" Cody kept saying.

Ted pretended to have a good attitude. "Don't worry about her. Let's focus on the match tonight. Besides, Shawn and Hunter are on their way down here as we speak."

Cody turned around, and Shawn and Hunter, in DX gear, was walking down the ramp and they both jumped into the ring. As Shawn climbed over the ropes, he saw Kelly sitting at the announcers table. He smiled and waved at her, Kelly waving back with a smile and laughing while doing so.

Triple H was too focused on the match to do anything. He just wanted to get away from the troubles of Kelly in order to concentrate on the match tonight. Shawn slapped him on the back, not feeling the pain, his muscles were so huge, and said, "You ready?"

"Yeah. Are you ready?" Triple H asked, the boom in his voice that sent Kelly laughing. He knew she liked that out of him.

Cody rolled his eyes and tried to focus. He got into a grapple position and quickly locked up with Shawn as Hunter went over to the ring ramp and grabbed the white string, making sure it was tight and wouldn't fall off. Ted did the same as he watched his friend grapple Shawn and send him flying into the ramp post on the side parallel to Hunter.

"All right, now, what if I tried to reverse it?" Shawn asked Cody.

"Sounds good, but let me get a few punches in first." Cody said, his eyes trying not to look at the girl.

"How about he pushes your head into the post, then you reverse it?" Ted asked, smiling.

"I like that idea better." Shawn said.

Cody grabbed Shawn, acting as if it was a struggle to grab him, and Shawn reversed it, looking like he was mad, and slammed Cody's head into the post, but not barely letting it touch. He knew Cody's hands were already helping him shield his face.

"That was a good idea," Triple H said. "Now what about you act as if your in pain, Cody, and Shawn tries to attack you?"

"I want to attack him first." Cody said, getting his head and thoughts clear of the somewhat pain in his head.

Triple H held his hands out in offense. "That's not nice of you, Cody."

"Whatever. We like to tease the crowd, right? I'll crouch up on one knee and land some punches in the gut. Fair enough?"

"I think it's fair." Shawn said, who looked over at Kelly.

Kelly watched as Shawn was getting punched in the gut. Her heart seemed a bit hardened by this. Why she was sitting here watching this was beyond her, but it looked fun.

Still, they look as if they're hurting each other, Kelly thought. Just like-

Kelly tried to clear her head, but she seemed wound up in her thoughts she blacked out a bit, remembering the horrible smell of the bottles and the smoke. She didn't want to remember it, but it lingered on her. She could smell it now. It was hard for her to breathe. She tried so hard to breath, but the smell lingered on her. She thought she could smell it on her clothes. On her own skin. She wanted to escape this nightmare that was her real life.

She felt crowded, as if she would suffocate, then she would let air come to her. She saw nothing else than what was before her:

_The bed. The cold bed in front of her. And the only thing on it was a pillow with yellow stains across it. Tear stains at that. She approached the bed and quickly heard the noises up in the living room. She didn't want to hear them, much less see them. But she quickly felt the pressure of something knock into her._

_Falling stomach first, she felt the thing roll off of her with a groan. She could feel the liquid that oozed on her back through her clothes. She touched it a second, and blood was on her fingertips. She tried to wipe it off, but the force of yet something else was knocking her against the bed. She groaned when she felt the bed's impact. She turned her head, and saw the figure standing over the other._

_The figure was dark from the useless lights on the ceiling, yet she knew what the figure looked like. She more so knew what the other figure looked like. More than anything. Only now she was rough and ragged. Her clothes were damp and blood measured out her cheekbones. She didn't have to know that. She already knew._

_The other figure was breathing heavily, and, with a blink of an eye, he faced her. She cowered back onto the bed, trying to grasp the pillow to throw it at the figure, but he bounced onto the bed and hit her with the force of an iron._

_She slowly lost her sense to see. Her sense to hear. The figure walked over to the other, and, quickly, landed punches of its own. The yelps of the figure made her tears fall. Heavy tears that looked as if they were invisible._

_She slowly looked up a little, but the force of the punch brought her back down, feeling the cold bed. "Mom..."_

_The figure let the other figure fall on the ground, then, within a second, flew it over its shoulder and walked up the stairs. The heavy pounding drowned out the sounds of her screaming._

_"Mom...Mom...Mom...!"_

* * *

Then, she found the light again. And this time, she was looking into the eyes of the protectors. The blue eyes of the nice man and his friend. She looked around, and the locker room was closing in on her. She saw Hunter grab something and bring it over to her.

"Hey...you okay, sweetheart?" Shawn asked, his eyes full of worry.

Kelly looked around the room, and saw Hunter take a wet washcloth to her face. Trying to wake her up as it were.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You fainted after we had first started practicing. You were calling out something and we heard you." Triple H said, applying the washcloth.

"Are you okay now?" Shawn asked, holding her hand.

Kelly saw Shawn was holding her head and body against his. He must have carried her back here. She thought about what she saw, then she shook her head, her eyes watering with tears.

Shawn noticed this. "What's wrong, angel?"

Triple H stopped applying the washcloth and looked at her. Kelly felt the stares and a tear streamed down her face. Shawn wiped it away as he held her close to his body.

"I..." Kelly began. "I know what happened."

Triple H let the washcloth fall on the floor. "We know what happened, too."

"No, I know what happened." Kelly said, more tears streaming, her voice cracking.

"What happened, sweetheart?" Shawn asked.

Before Kelly could say anything, she heard footsteps come into the room. Shawn and Triple H looked as well. Ted stood a foot from the three while Cody was standing at the doorway.

"It's almost showtime. Our promo is coming up after the first match so we must get ready. Is Kelly okay?" Ted asked.

Shawn let Kelly rest against the locker room wall and quickly sat up. Triple H didn't let his emotions try to overcome him.

"She'll be fine." Shawn said, walking over to Ted.

"I hope she doesn't faint again," Ted said. "Man, that was scary. I thought she had a heart attack."

"That's why we don't need her around." Cody mumbled, but Ted turned his head and glared before turning back.

"Just be careful out there," Triple H said. "We'll take care of Kelly from here."

Ted smiled and left the room while Cody glared at the three before taking off to await their promo.

Shawn and Triple H gave each other nervous looks. Shawn felt a tear streak down his face, but wiped it away. There was no use in that now.

"Let's get Kelly something to drink. She's gonna need some water." Triple H said, smiling.

"Yeah, let's go. Hey, Kelly, you want some water?" Shawn asked.

Kelly nodded and attempted to stand, but Shawn stopped her.

"Save your strength. You took a bad fall when you fainted. We'll be right back."

Kelly looked as the two men left the room, trying to understand and collect what had just happened. She didn't understand why she needed to be alone, but she felt that she needed to. She had been alone since before she could walk.

* * *

Shawn and Hunter walked down the halls, saying their hellos to a couple of superstars in attendance to the event. They saw the drinking machine and Shawn grabbed a cup and filled it with water. He looked at it and frowned.

"I hope Kelly's okay." He said, trying to overpower his mood.

"Yeah. Maybe she does need someone." Triple H said.

Shawn looked up, almost in shock. "Are you saying...?"

"Yeah, I am saying. She can stay with us and we can help her. We don't need the police. We got this."

Shawn couldn't help himself. He hugged his best friend and somehow managed to not spill any of the water. He was happy now, and his sad mood seemed to fade.

"Okay, Shawn!" Triple H said, his head tilted back from all of the excitement.

"Oh, Hunter, she's going to stay with us!"

"Wh-Wait Shawn, she can't stay. We're not her parents."

"I know...but maybe she does. I guess we'll have to look for them since she was yelling out for her Mom earlier."

"That's true," Triple H frowned. "Come on, let's get back."

As Shawn and Hunter walked down the hallway, laughing at theirselves and how they managed to get along now, a person in the shadows was looking at them.

The figure scowled and grunted in anger. He picked up his cell phone he had in his hand and dialed a number.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Vince, you arn't going to believe this..."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"So, you're telling me you want me to watch her?"

"Yes, Mark," Shawn said, looking at the man before him. "It would do me and Hunter some good knowing she'll be safe."

"I don't know...I don't have anything planned..." Mark looked at the ground, as if he was looking at his wrestling boots. Checking them.

"Mark, the least we can do is be apart of the storyline." Triple H added, smirking.

"I already know that," Mark said, twisting his hat on his head. "I'm already scheduled to face Shawn at Wrestlemania, and I know my character's going to play mind games and such, but, heck, I wasn't given anything to do tonight. What a waist of my time. All I'm doing is a promo to scare you, Shawn."

Mark was getting serious, and Shawn and Hunter didn't know what to say. Mark looked at them, his Undertaker gear on, and his makeup looking good as always, and groaned.

"All right," He said. "Where's the girl?"

"In our locker room. She's staying in there until we get through with our match tonight." Triple H said.

"Thanks for doing this, Mark. I'll see you in the ring before DX's match." Shawn said, smiling.

As Shawn and Hunter managed to walk back into their locker room, they noticed that Mark was walking with them. He wanted to see her, as they could possibly tell, and he would be in for a surprise.

Kelly sipped the last of the water Shawn had given her and looked at the two men wrestling on the t.v. nearby, but didn't bother to look for long. All of the punches and kicks were making her sick on her stomach again. Then, she heard the locker room door open and saw Shawn and Triple H walk in, this time with a man a few feet taller than themselves. Kelly gasped, and saw the man stand over in the corner with Hunter as Shawn approached her.

"Don't worry, Kelly. That's Mark, and he's going to watch after you while we wrestle tonight. Are you okay with that?"

Kelly looked at Mark, his hands across his chest and his black clothes and coat didn't help his appearance get any brighter, yet she still saw the shades of a good man behind the stubborn look. She looked at Shawn and nodded.

Shawn smiled and looked over at Triple H and Mark, who were laughing at something funny that was going around about Dolph Ziggler.

"All right," Shawn said. "Since our promo isn't until after the next two matches, we'll let you watch her until its time to go out to the ring."

"All right then." Mark said, looking over at the girl.

Triple H smiled and patted Mark on the arm. "We're going to talk to Legacy for what we should do on our match since we didn't get the chance to earlier. See you later."

"Bye, Mark. We'll be back soon, Kelly." Shawn said, smiling at the girl in front of him.

"Bye." Kelly whispered, then caught a look at Mark as he sat down on one of the chairs.

Kelly lowered her head as Mark kept staring at her. Waiting for him to say something. Possibly laugh at her and, for the most part, he could yell at her. He looked as if he could do that.

"So..." Mark said, grinning. "You like this place?"

Kelly kept looking down. "Yes."

Mark grew confused and tried to smile, but it seemed hopeless. He sighed and wished he could find something better to do. He didn't hae much to do tonight. Just a promo with Shawn and that's that.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Mark asked.

"I don't know what to say to anyone. I'm not good at anything."

The tone of the girl's voice set Mark's mind blazing. He knew what she was feeling. He knew she had doubts, but why did she? It made no sense to him as he continued to speak to her:

"I came to this place back in the 90s and I told myself I wasn't going to make it to the top, but then the crowd loved me and brought me to where I am today. I feel very proud of myself. You should feel proud, too. At least your here."

Kelly looked at the strange man. "I don't work here."

"Oh. Well, in that case, why are you here?"

Kelly lowered her head. She didn't want to talk about it. Not about what was and what was now. She felt tears in her eyes, one making its way down her face before she even felt it.

"What do you like to do?" Mark asked, seeing the girl's actions.

"I...I like to draw." Kelly said, feeling her tears increase. Her heart heavy.

"I used to draw. I don't like it as much as Wrestling, but if you like it that's cool, too."

Kelly laughed when the tone of the strange man's voice seemed sweet and soft-like, only he had a tough exterior. It seemed he had a heart of gold.

"You're really nice," Kelly said, trying to keep her tears from showing. "I like you a lot."

"A lot of fans say that." Mark said, trying to dodge the fact he'd have to go out to screaming fans later on.

* * *

As Shawn and Triple H were smiling to themselves, they noticed how everyone was looking at them. When they passed Kofi Kingston, he just glared and didn't say anything. It was odd of him to do so. When they passed CM Punk, he laughed at the two and left off to his match. Strange. When they passed a few Divas, they turned their backs and talked in whispers.

"What's going on here?" Shawn whispered in his friend's ear.

"I don't know. Did somebody get hurt?"

"I hope not. I hope we don't-"

Shawn noticed some production workers looking at them as if they were nothing, shaking their heads. What was more surprising is when all of the superstars that were talking and blocking one of the halls saw the two friends, they all cleared the way for them.

Triple H walked past the superstars, all from the cruiserweight class, and quickly felt a tap on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off, trying to not let the two classes of cruiserweights and heavyweights collide.

The two friends kept walking and insisted they keep quiet, knowing the cold stares were quiet enough.

"I hope you two have a nice time," Jack Swagger said from down the hall, kind of rude-like. "In prison."

Shawn stopped walking immediately, as did Triple H, and looked at him. "What did you say?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Vince McMahon is in the main office right now. So, if I were you, I'd get going, if that's where you were headed to, anyway."

"We were just headed to Legacy's locker room. What's going on? And why is my dad here?" Triple H asked.

"Ask Legacy." Jack said before turning his back on the two friends, talking in whispers to Rey Mysterio.

Triple H groaned aloud and walked down the hall, his breathing heavy. Shawn followed him, knowing Legacy had spread some sort of rumor. He knew they had spread rumors on other superstars before, but not on DX. They respected both him and Hunter...but why not now?

Legacy's locker room was an inch away, and Triple H burst through the door just as soon as he spotted it, and Shawn just looked nervous, walking in with his friend, seeing the two scared men talking in plain sight.

"Well, well, well," Cody said. "If it isn't the kidnappers."

"Kidnappers?!" Shawn screamed, loud enough that the whole roster could have heard it.

"That's right," Cody smirked, walking a little towards the two friends. "I think it's time D-Generation X gets a taste of their own medicine. You see, here's the picture: A girl walks in with two muscled men who some people in this world don't know are famous Wrestlers, and then the girl is speechless because she has been kidnapped by two men who infamously picked her up on the side of the road."

"Cody-" Ted tried to say.

"Shut up, Ted. Then they-"

"Wait a minute, Cody. How did you figure out the "on-the-side-of-the-road" part?" Triple H asked, his anger enraged inside of him.

"Vince McMahon happened to drive past a couple of street thugs who were badly damaged on the side of the road and desperately looking for someone when they happened to tell Vince the description of the two men that beat them all up and killed one of them."

"It was an accident! We didn't-" Shawn said, his anger also bursting inside of him.

"So, it is true! You two were the one's who beat up some innocent people on the side of the road, then you insisted to kidnap one of them in order to protect yourselves. Isn't that a shame?"

"Cody...the girl was severely beaten! She coud have died!" Triple H yelled.

"She? Oh, that girl you brought in here? She didn't look so beaten up to me." Cody smirked.

"She did have a little bruising under her left eye." Ted said, his arms across his chest, his face worried.

"Ah, thank you, Ted! Now the pieces are starting to come together!" Cody screamed.

"She got those bruises and cuts from the thugs beating her! We never touched her!" Shawn screamed.

"Oh, sure, blame it on the thugs. I've got Vince McMahon waiting in the main office threatening to call the police and he'll see to it that you two will never be employed here ever again!"

Triple H charged forward. "You little-"

"Hunter, no..." Shawn said, blocking his friend's way, standing between the two men. "Let's just go talk to Vince. I'm sure he'll listen."

Triple H was staring at Cody so hard he couldn't find the strength to follow Shawn out of the room, and Shawn had to force him out.

When the two were gone, Cody looked at Ted. "Did you get it all?"

Ted looked down and uncrossed his arms, revealing a video recorder. "It's all here."

Cody took it and pushed the stop button, opening it to see the little tape inside. He pushed the cap back down and managed to put it in his wrestling bag.

"See Ted," He was saying. "That girl was a poor victim from the moment we saw her. Now that we have all the pieces of the puzzle, we won't have to worry about them anymore."

"Who's 'we'?" Ted asked. "It was your idea."

"But your my partner, Ted. And we are the face of this company. You do as I say, and we will make poor DX lose their jobs and their dignities. Imagine this all over the news. All over the newspapers."

"Yeah, but, this is going a little too far, don't you think? I mean, getting Vince in on this?"

"Vince knew about this before we did. Now, we'll have all of the fame just as DX had."

"Cody, what will happen to the girl?"

"Don't worry. Vince got that taken care of."

* * *

Shawn tried to keep up with Hunter, but Hunter kept shoving him out of the way and walking into the unknown of the hallway wasn't helping out much. Triple H was so angry his face was already red, and Shawn's anger was like his, only he couldn't see why it was the girl that was involved in all this.

They managed to look down the hall for the main office, and they found it on the left side. Managing to get the door open, Triple H broke the lock.

"Don't you know how to knock?!" Vince yelled from across the room.

"How dare you spread lies about us! We didn't do anything other than help the girl, and all you do is make up stories on how you think we kidnapped a poor innocent victim! Fact of the matter is, she was innocent! She was left to die on the side of the road, and how does that feel when you accidentally run into a guy on the road that you didn't see and he dies in front of you because he didn't watch where the heck he was going and already your accusing me and Shawn of something we didn't even do! We helped the girl! We got her back on her feet! And we even talked to her when she didn't want to! Don't come in here telling us we don't know what we're talking about because we are telling the truth, and even Shawn could see that! So, now, you get your poor excuse of a man Cody Rhodes and tell him the whole story! I'm tired of the lies, Pop! I'm tired of feeling angry over the girl! She's not apart of this! She's a victim in a crime that wasn't supposed to happen!"

Shawn was speechless as he stood at the doorway, never once taking a step into the room. Vince was more shocked than anything, his own family talking to him in a way that made sense, yet he was still enraged from all of the facts he was hearing from the one and only other son he had, that partner of his not helping at all. Vince was so shocked from Triple H's words he sunk back in his chair and collected his thoughts.

"Don't you two have a match? Or better yet, sit down. We've got a few minutes."

Vince made gestures towards the chairs, and Triple H sat down with his arms crossed. Shawn slowly entered the room and sat down in the other chair in front of the huge desk. He didn't want to get fired. No. This was the one thing that was dear to him. His entire life depended on this business.

"Now," Vince said, his voice booming in his angered state. "I know that Cody Rhodes called me and told me about the girl. But I guess you didn't know a thing of the like. I Knew that one night I was driving here and I happened to come across some thugs on the road. Not armed. Not even scared-"

"One of them had a knife and tried to kill me." Shawn said.

"Did I say you could talk, Michaels? Now then, those thugs were telling me that one of their men needed help. I called the police and I just so happened to get a description of what their attackers looked like. It just so happened to match the descriptions of you two. Now, you've got my company in a big mess, and when it's a big mess, it's up to you to clean it up! So as of now, you two get back to your jobs, because I'm afraid that a court order has just been filed!"

"What?!" Triple H yelled, standing up at the same time, knocking over the chair.

"Vince, we have to go to court?!" Shawn asked, a boom in his voice.

"Yes, now get out of my office! Now!"

Triple H walked over to the doorway and slammed the door, not letting Shawn out of the room. Shawn wanted to turn back, tell him that the girl wasn't the problem, but then again, maybe she was the whole start of this. He looked at Vince, who went on signing some papers with his head down, not looking up once.

"Vince...?" Shawn asked.

Vince's head popped up. "What?!"

"After the trial I need to talk to you. It's about something really important."

"All right, whatever you say. Just get out of here."

Shawn nodded and opened the door, seeing Triple H had already stormed back down the hallway, and closed it behind him, his tears starting to leak out again. He managed to walk down the hall, getting himself together as he saw all of the superstars and divas look at him with ugly looks, confused looks, horrible looks. Shawn was used to some of them, after all, he wasn't the big superstar he thought he was back in the day and everyone looked down on him like trash.

Shawn managed to avoid the stares and started to head back to the locker room, but also trying to find Hunter, who had suddenly disappeared. He saw the door of their locker room open from down the hall, and figured Hunter was too angry to close it.

He walked up to the door and quickly looked in...and saw Mark lying on the floor with Triple H over him, yelling at him.

"What happened, Mark?! What happened around here?!" Triple H kept asking.

Mark was shaking his head as if he was in a daze, and saw that the room was completely trashed.

"Some cops came in here and some people from Child Protective Services came bursting into the room. I tried to ask them questions, but they shoved me aside and took the girl as she was screaming and kicking to get away from them. I tried to stop them, but one of the strong cops punched me and knocked me out. Then, I woke up to you screaming in my ear."

Shawn felt his tears fall across his face, and Triple H looked up at Shawn. They both knew that Kelly was now gone for good.

Triple H helped Mark to his feet, himself groaning and touching his jaw. He looked over at Shawn, who had now entered the room and slammed his knees against the floor. He began sobbing aloud. Hard and strong. Hunter went over and hugged him, Shawn's head against his shoulder, his eyes and face red with anger and pain.

"Shawn...it's okay...it's okay..." Triple H kept saying, but his tears flew down his face that he had to unwrap Shawn for a second to dry them off.

Shawn's sobs were so loud, his prayers were loud to.

"Oh, Lord! Help Kelly! Please! Help her as she has been taken from us! Help us in the battle at hand! Help us from this court battle! Please help us, Jesus!"

Mark felt tears in his eyes, but realized he was still wearing makeup and his and Shawn's promo was coming up in a few minutes before the main event between Legacy and DX. He decided to suck up his tears and come over to Shawn and Triple H, clasping each other like they had been in a wreak.

"Come on, guys, your match is next, and so is the promo." Mark said, holding his hat on his head.

Shawn kept sobbing so hard he didn't move anything but his back. Triple H looked up at Mark.

"We can't do this," He said. "We loved Kelly like she was our own children."

"I know...and that girl does have something special about her." Mark said, a chuckle in his voice.

"What do you mean?!" Shawn yelled from inside Hunter's shirt.

"She's different."

"What are you saying, Mark?" Triple H asked.

"She's got autism."

Shawn almost looked up but didn't look up at all. "Why do you say that?!"

"Because she's got all the signs. She's not a perfect person, but she is the best I've ever seen. I even gave her some paper to draw on. See?"

Mark had gotten some papers from the floor and picked them up, holding them in his hands until he showed it to Triple H.

Triple H let go of Shawn a second before seeing the drawings. He was amazed at how good they were. How the colors were nicely done. He saw the stick figure that was himself and the stick figure that was of Shawn. She had a stick figure of her own in the middle. They also had the car they were driving in in the background. It was a sunny day in the picture, with a "Welcome to Mississippi" sign out beside "Monday Night Raw".

"Shawn..." Hunter said, shoving the picture to Shawn, who was now sniffling.

Shawn looked as his eyes were blurred by the tears he shed for a few seconds before he managed to see the picture. He saw the stick figures and all of the things that were apart of the journey that the three had had in the past couple of hours. It seemed like weeks, but it was a couple of days.

Mark smiled. "She loved the both of you...too bad she didn't draw one of me."

* * *

A night that seemed like eternity finally passed, the way Shawn contained his feelings during the promo was nothing compared to his feelings when he was facing Legacy. For the first time in his life, he wanted to kill the two men wrestling him in the ring. Wanting to make them pay for their lies. Even Triple H had managed to keep his composure, but his anger was nothing compared to Shawn's.

That night, when the show was over and the two didn't want to talk to anyone, they got their things together and left for the next town. Shawn couldn't manage to hold in his feelings in the hotel room that night when he felt Hunter comforting him and cried almost the whole night. Triple H tried to be strong, but his emotions ran high as well. When Shawn was asleep on the bed, he walked into the bathroom and his emotions got to him while standing in front of the mirror. He let his anger and frustration out on Vince, but he needed to let his sad feelings get in the way now. Shawn had heard the sobs, and, managing to get out of bed, he walked into the bathroom and hugged his best friend, wishing for a way to get this all cleared up.

* * *

Kelly was sitting on the cold bed of the agency, her tears streaking her face when she realized they, the two men she had trusted so much, betrayed her. They didn't want her from the beginning. She tried to make new friends with the cops, but she couldn't see why they were acting so rude to her. She felt her tears again, and her sobs pierced her lips. A feeling now creeping up on her and she was now feeling it engulf her. Alone. She felt alone.

She was used to the feeling then, and she was used to it now.

* * *

A couple of days later, Shawn and Triple H managed to get their minds together for the trial that awaited them in the next town after traveling to Florida for the next show. They managed to get set in a new hotel room, and managed to collect their thoughts as they were now laying on the bed.

"I hate this." Shawn said, his teeth clenching.

"Me too, buddy." Triple H said, his anger overpowering him, not wanting to get up and go to the courthouse.

"What will happen to her now? She's all alone out there, and she probably has no one left to go to."

"We don't know that for sure, Shawn. All we know is that she has, or possibly had, a mom. She yelled it out when we were practicing right before she fainted."

"True. Still, I hope God will help us. I've prayed every night, and I still feel doubtful."

"Shawn," Triple H placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We are all going to be okay. God will see this through."

"I hope so." Shawn said as he grabbed his friend's hand and clutched it. His tears showing.

Kelly awoke with a yell. Her dreams were too much to bare at this point. Her memories. Her torment. Her-

Suddenly, a door opened and a man was standing in the doorway of her cell.

"Come on, kid, a man is here to take you to the courthouse." He said, his voice rough.

Kelly got off of her bed and walked down the hall with the man, who placed a rough hand on her shoulder as she looked down at the ground, eyeing the shirt she had on, the big "DX" still there. She had doubts that the two men that helped her was never coming back to her.

She saw a man at the end of the long hallway, and he had on a suit and was somewhat old, yet he looked middle aged too. The guard let her go and the man in the suite smiled at her.

"Hi, there, I'm Vincent Kennedy McMahon, and I'm here to set things right. Now, are you or are you not Kelly?"

Kelly looked at the floor, the white tile stinging her eyes. "I am."

"Good, then let's get out of here. This place looks boring."

"It is." Kelly said with a laugh, looking up at the man.

Vince led Kelly down to the doorway and quickly got out the double doors of the agency. Kelly was blinded by the sunlight before finally being able to see the limousine in front of her.

"Wow." She whispered.

"Yep, riding in style." Vince said with a grin.

A man opened the door and let Kelly get in, followed by Vince. A woman was also present on the other side of the limousine, wearing a dress and drinking some water from a glass.

"So...your the kid my husband kidnapped." Stephanie glared.

Kelly became confused. "Kidnapped?"

"That's right. You were sent here in an attempt to get away from those captors called Shawn Michaels and Hunter Helmsley." Vince said cheerfully, looking over at the girl.

"But they-"

"Save it for the judge, Kid. My husband's got some explaining to do." Stephenie looked pleased, but continued to glare out the window of the limousine.

* * *

Shawn and Hunter waited patiently in the court room, surprised that there wasn't any fans outside begging for questions or autographs. They sat side by side, in their street clothes, facing the stand that soon they would sitting on.

"Oh, Lord," Shawn was praying, whispering to himself and his maker. "Please give us strength."

Just then, the doors of the back flew open, and Cody and Ted stepped into the room. Shawn managed to turn around, but stopped himself when he saw the two men accusing them of kidnapping. Triple H growled a little and quickly turned back around from facing the two.

Then, the doors opened again. Only this time the two friends didn't turn around.

"What are you doing here?" Cody asked rudely.

"Well, I got myself into this, I might as well testify."

Shawn smiled when he recognized the voice. The loud voice sat down behind the two friends and the two of them turned around.

"Thanks for helping us, Mark." Shawn said, smiling.

"Anytime. Let's get these two nitwits out of here after the trial's over." Mark said, laughing.

"Only in the ring, Mark." Triple H said, glaring at the stand again after turning his head.

The doors swinged open a few seconds later, and it was Vince who entered the room with Stephanie and Kelly.

"Kelly!" Shawn said in a soft tone.

"Steph, wa-!" Triple H was beside himself when he saw his wife.

"So, Hunter, killed anyone else on the road? Or have you kidnapped anyone else lately?" Stephanie said, a growl in her voice.

"Steph, why are you here?" Triple H said, looking at his wife as she sat down next to her father.

"My dad asked me to come. I might just get a divorce." Stephenie refused to look at him.

"Great." Triple H sneered. "How many times have you said that before?"

Shawn chuckled and starting thinking of his wife and kids. He had done that a lot lately, but now he had no focus on this trial. He felt something soft on his neck, and heard Kelly's laugh when she clinged her arms around Shawn.

"I knew you would be okay, Kelly." Shawn said, hugging her back.

Kelly made way to Triple H, and hugged him tightly until a policeman, who suddenly and somehow entered the room, took her by the arm and walked her over to the other side of the courtroom where Vince and Stephanie were sitting, along with Cody and Ted.

Mark laughed. "Where's my hug?"

Out of the front of the courtroom, the Judge appeared with a Bailiff.

"All rise!" The Bailiff shouted.

Everyone stood, Kelly getting a glimpse of Shawn and Hunter as they stood on the other side, and then they sat back down when told to.

"Okay," The judge said, putting on his glasses. "Case Number 7724: D-Generation X Vs Legacy. Well, this should be interesting."

"Wow." Mark whispered behind the two friends, trying not to laugh at the case number.

"All right, I got a headache and I want to get all the facts straight. Let's bring the first witness to the stand. Mark Callaway."

"Great." Mark mumbled as he worked his way to the stand. He sat down as soon as the prosecutor came in front of him.

"Whoa! Your like my character! Just appear out of thin air!" Mark shouted.

"Funny. Now, Mr. Callaway, you have known Mr. Michaels and Mr. Helmsely for quite some time as from what Mr. McMahon has told us. Do you agree?"

"Yes, I do. I've known those two since the late 90s. They were like brothers to me on and off the screen, even when I was there opponent in a match."

"I see, and do you know anything of this case?"

"Well, those two idiots back there want to know everything that's going on around them and they have to get all up in my friends' business."

"I see. Where were you the day the reported kidnapping happened?"

"Driving to the arena. As always."

"Did you encounter anyone on the road?"

"No."

"Not a soul?"

"My character would probably answer 'yes' to that, but as of now, no."

"What were you doing that day in the arena in Mississippi?"

"I was learning what I was to do that night. I had a promo with Shawn and then he and his friend would have a match. But I got to also help them out with the girl by watching her while they were headed to Legacy's locker room to talk about their match. I knew nothing of what was going on at the time with the girl. I just decided to help."

"I see. And you helped her, right?"

"I watched over her. I didn't do anything other than give her some paper to draw on because she told me she loved to draw."

"You may be seated."

"That's it? Huh."

Mark stepped off the panel and sat back down. He smiled at Kelly while doing so, and Kelly smiled back.

"I call Mr. Rhodes to the stand." The Judge said, looking at the man in the far corner taking down notes.

Cody stepped past the other people in the room and sat on the stand.

"Hello."

"Hello. Mr. Rhodes, are you aware of the case?"

"Yes, I am. I'm the one who called Vince in the first place."

"Yes, well, we need to know what happened that day in Mississippi."

"Well, I was in the hallway with my friend Ted when those two sitting right there came into the building and had the girl with them. She was looking down, and she looked scared. I sensed something was up, so I listened in very carefully on those two's conversations every time I'd see them. I ended up giving a phone call to Vince once I heard the two friends talking about how they didn't need police and how they got this all down. I immediately wanted Vince to do something about this, and he did. Then, those two come storming into my locker room and yell at me, telling me it was all lies that we had been telling them when they charged in."

"Well, isn't that right? So, what made you think they were endangering the girl?"

"They were talking to her and caring for her with the intent of keeping her. I heard them myself. If you don't believe me, here's a video recording of our conversation when they charged into the room."

He handed it to the prosecutor and handed he it to the judge. The judge played the tape and shook his head, but nothing amusing came from him. Shawn tensed up, hearing their voices, what they said. Triple H let his emotions die down when he heard about the video recording.

"I can't believe this." He whispered.

When the tape was over, the Judge kept it on his desk and motioned the case to continue.

"I think that's enough for now. You may step down."

Cody walked off the panel and sat back down, easily smirking to his friend. Ted didn't smile back, but only wished to let this case be over with.

Minutes passed, and Vince gave his side of the story, talking on how he saw the thugs on the side of the road and saw the one that had died on the road while he called the police. When the police got there, they looked for anything around the place, and managed to find a knife in the corner of the forest. The judge looked pleased with this segment, looking over at the two friend's as if they were indeed innocent. When he talked on how Triple H and Shawn were in his office, he said it was the scariest moment of his life. Yet, it was business. Vince stepped down with a smile, hoping that the two best wrestlers weren't going to jail.

Ted was next. He took to the panel and immediately told the prosecutor that he knew Shawn and Triple H wouldn't do anything like this and how he was involved in helping the girl by showing her around the ring. This made Vince tense up, but Stephanie lowered his anger. He also talked on how he felt bad about the situation and how the girl fainted when she called out "Mom" and she was raced back into the locker room and Shawn and Hunter. When Ted stepped down, he took a seat next to Kelly, who smiled at him and he smiled back. Cody looked angry.

"All right, I call Mr. Michaels to the stand." The Judge said.

Shawn rose up and quickly approached the stand. He was nervous, but kept his nerves hidden for now.

"So...Mr. Michaels, after the details, both good and bad, new and old, you still have something to say?"

"Yes, I do. I know that it was fate that led us to Kelly that night when we saved her from the thugs that were beating her on the side of the road, and I know God was planning something big for us when we helped her get back on her feet and she started talking to us like we were people she had never known before. Truth was, she was someone we didn't know, but she didn't know us either. And, if you don't mind, I would like for you to look in that bag over in the corner of where my friend is sitting."

The prosecutor did so, and opened the bag. He looked shocked when he saw what was in there. He dumped out the contents, and it was that of the old, ragged, and torn and beaten clothing that was on the girl while she was getting abused. The judge perked up and motioned to the prosecutor.

"Well, then, I guess you may sit down."

Shawn left the stand and crossed over the old clothes. He sat next to Hunter and quickly felt a smile on his face.

"I call Mr. Helmsly to the stand."

"Your honor," Triple H said, standing up. "I arrest my case when I show you this."

He pulled something from his pocket and showed it to the prosecutor. It was that of a washcloth, covered in dried up blood and dirt that covered the material. Everyone was quiet.

"I bet he made that just for the trial." Cody sneered.

"I didn't, Rhodes. This is the washcloth that Kelly put in my bag the same day we managed to get out of the hotel and head towards Mississippi. She somehow put it in my bag, and I found it last night when I was getting my things to brush my teeth. I also knew that Shawn had those clothes Kelly had on when we found her on the side of the road."

Kelly smiled. She knew that that lucky charm would come in handy.

"You may be seated. I call Ms. Kelly to the stand."

Kelly looked nervous, then, she got up slowly and walked to the stand. The prosecutor smiled at her and she looked over at Shawn and Hunter, smiling at them instead.

"So, Kelly, your how old?"

"Seventeen."

"I think that's a little too young to be out on the streets at night, don't you think?"

"No. I just wanted to..."

Kelly felt tears in her eyes, trying to hide them. Trying not to let anyone see them.

"Wanted to what?"

"I wanted to...get away."

"Get away from what?"

"Get away...from...them."

"Whose 'them'?"

"M-Mom...and her boyfriend."

Shawn tensed up, looking at Triple H, who looked just as shocked as his friend was. Vince tensed up as well. Ted seemed to be a little worried, and Mark listened in carefully.

"What about them?"

"They...they...they were happy at first...and then...everything changed...they changed. They started to drink together, and it got worse. They started to hurt each other, her boyfriend hurting my mom the worse. Then, he'd hurt me..."

Kelly let tears streak her cheeks. She felt them sting her heart.

"What did they do to hurt you?"

"They would tell me I wasn't good at anything. I was a freak. I was a loser. And...they'de tell me I was ugly. They'd hit me and hurt me. They'd force me to sleep in the basement while they were fighting all the time upstairs..."

Kelly tried hard to not let her emotions get the best of her, but it came with a sudden outburst. She sobbed and felt her tears become heavy.

"I felt awful when my mom was taken from me and I was cast out into the street by him...He'd tell me to not come back...and I didn't want to come back...and my mom said the same things. They didn't love me. Nobody loves me!"

Shawn felt tears on his face from hearing all of this. He tried to let his sobs stay away, but it was hopeless now. Triple H felt the same tears crawling down his skin.

"Oh, my God..." Vince whispered.

"The worse part was that my mom sent her thug friends to deal with me...so I ran...and I ran from them and they found me one night and they attacked me and hit me and kicked me until I saw some car lights come into view and I tried to see who...they were...and they attacked the thugs and helped me. I saw them in the light of the car, like God was sending them to me. I felt safe with them. I loved them. They were like my family that I wanted to have. A loving family."

Shawn and Triple H smiled through their emotions and stood up together getting the same idea.

"I love you, Kelly. I'm glad to help you anytime." Shawn said, wiping tear from his eyes.

"I love you, Kelly. Like you were my own child." Triple H said, his tears showing clearly.

Mark stood up and let the force of his emotions out. "I love you, Kelly. I think your a nice girl. Even if you have autism, your still a sweet girl."

"Autism?" Vince questioned.

"It's a behavior disease. They haven't found a cure for it," Ted said, standing up. "I love you, Kelly. Your one of the best girls I've ever seen."

Kelly laughed when she saw the four men standing. She also felt a sudden urge to hug them. She let her tears show to them.

"Drop the charges!" Vince yelled. "Drop them! I'll pay for all the fines!"

"Okay..." The Judge said slowly. "Okay, the charges are dropped."

Shawn gave a sigh of relief and Hunter hugged him, just as they had always been friends. Mark sighed in relief and saw the way everyone looked: Vince and Stephanie were already leaving the courtroom, Kelly was walking down the stand to Shawn and Hunter, and she hugged them at the same time. Ted stepped out of the courtroom after Cody was finished talking to him.

Everything was the same, but things were different now. The policeman who led Kelly away from them tried to get her away again, but the Judge stopped him.

"Hey! The charges are dropped! Leave that girl to her family!"

The policeman stepped aside and walked out of the courtroom. Mark walked out after Kelly hugged him and he gave her the drawings she drew.

* * *

Outside the courthouse, Shawn, Triple H, and Kelly were sitting on the steps. They were enjoying the air and the sun that warmed up their bodies. Of course, they were happy to see this happy day.

Shawn cleared his throat and looked at his friend. "Hunter, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Triple H asked, looking at him.

"I've been thinking...I've been in this business for a long time...and...it's time."

Triple H knew what he was talking about. "Good luck on that with Vince. Your the best wrestler in the business. He'd be a fool to let you go."

"Well, retirement is a long journey."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

Kelly heard the two and kept her true feelings shown. "I'll miss you, too."

Shawn hugged her, and she laughed. "I'll miss you, Kelly. Beautiful angel."

"Kelly?" A voice called in the distance.

Kelly listened, a whisper on her lips, "Grandma?"

"Grandma?" Hunter repeated.

Then, an older woman appeared at the front of the steps. She was wearing a dress and had the biggest smile anyone would notice...just like Kelly's.

"Grandma!" Kelly yelled, then raced down the stairs and into her arms.

"Oh, I've missed you. Your mom's in jail with her boyfriend, though."

Kelly unclinged her arms around her Grandma and looked back at the two men. "Are they getting out?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Can I stay with you?"

"That's what I came to pick you up for. I heard about how you were saved by two wrestlers, who happen to be your cousin's favorite pastime on the television, from a man who had known them and he pointed to me where they were with you, and it was all over the news about you missing. I'm so glad I found you, Kelly."

Kelly smiled, then turned back to Shawn and Triple H, who were now standing on the steps. She smiled at them, and they smiled back. She realized she wanted to say goodbye to them. She raced over to the two best friends and hugged Shawn first.

"Goodbye, Shawn." Kelly said, a tear streaking her face.

"Goodbye, Kelly" Shawn said, tears on his face.

Kelly hugged Triple H and he smiled. "Goodbye, Hunter."

"Goodbye, Kelly."

Shawn and Hunter watched as the girl, Kelly, walked into their lives for a quick instant, and then she vanished from them as she entered the car her Grandma was driving and it rolled down the street.

They waved back, feeling their happiness returning. A promise to protect her among those emotions.

THE END.


End file.
